Mft: 


■■^m. 


^  '^Si^^- 


r  i^^Jk^ '^yA ^ UJft'^^i-X^V  kji    -^  (Vi  /SS v., 


TREASURE  ISLAND, 


PRINCE  OTTO 


By  ROBERT  LOUIS  STEVENSON, 

Author  of  "The  Master  of  Ballantrae,'"  etc. 


NEW  YORK: 
A.  L.  BUKT,  PUBLISHER. 


1  ^"^^0^ 


TREASURE   ISLAND. 


PART  1. 
THE  OLD  BUGCANEEB. 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE  OLD  SEA-DOG  AT  THE  ADMIKAL  BENBOW. 

Squire  Trelawney,  Dr.  Livesey  and  the  rest  of  these  gentlemen 
having  asked  me  to  write  down  the  whole  particulars  about  Treas- 
ure Island,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  keeping  nothing  back 
but  the  bearings  of  the  island,  and  that  only  because  there  is  still 
treasure  not  yet  lifted,  I  take  up  my  pen  in  the  year  of  grace  17 — , 
and  go  back  to  the  time  when  my  father  kept  tlie  Admiral  Benbow 
Inn,  and  the  brown  old  seaman,  with  the  saber  cut,  tirst  took  up 
his  lodging  under  our  roof. 

I  remember  him  as  if  it  were  yesterday,  as  he  came  plodding  to 
the  inn  door,  his  sea-chest  following  behind  him  in  a  hand-barrow; 
a  tall,  strong,  heavy,  nut-brown  man;  his  tarry  pig-tail  falling  over 
the  shoulders  of  his  soiled  blue  coat;  his  hands  ragged  and  scarred, 
with  black,  broken  nails,  and  the  saber  cut  across  one  cheek,  a 
dirty,  livid  white,  I  remember  him  looking  round  the  cove  and 
whistling  to  himself  as  he  did  so,  and  then  breaking  out  in  that  old 
sea-song  that  he  sung  so  often  afterward : 

"  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest — 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  ruml" 

in  the  high,  old  tottering  voice  that  seemed  to  have  been  tuned  and 
broken  at  the  capstan  bars.  Then  he  rapped  on  the  door  with  a  bit 
of  stick  like  a  handspike  that  he  carried,  and  when  my  father  ap- 
peared, called  roughly  for  a  glass  of  rum.  This,  when  it  was 
brought  to  him,  he  drank  slowly,  like  a  connoisseur,  lingering  on 


6  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

the  taste,  and  still  looking  about  him  at  the  cliffs  and  up  at  our  sign- 

board. 

"This  is  a  handy  cove,"  says  he,  at  length;  "and  a  pleasant 
sittyated  grog-shop.    Much  company,  mate?" 

My  father  told  him  no,  very  little  company,  the  more  was  the 
pity. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  he,  "  this  is  the  berth  for  me.  Here  you, 
matey,"  he  cried  to  the  man  who  trundled  the  barrow;  "  bring  up 
alongside  and  help  up  my  chest.  I'll  s;:ay  here  a  bit,"  he  continued. 
"I'm  a  plain  man;  rum  and  bacon  and  eggs  is  what  I  want,  and 
that  head  up  there  for  to  watch  ships  off.  What  you  mought 
call  me?  You  mought  call  me  captain.  Oh,  I  see  what  you're  at 
—there;"  and  he  threw  down  three  or  four  gold  pieces  on  the 
threshold.  "  You  can  tell  me  when  I've  worked  through  that," 
says  he,  looking  as  fierce  as  a  commander. 

And,  indeed,  bad  as  his  clothes  were,  and  coarsely  as  he  spoke, 
he  had  none  of  the  appearance  of  a  man  who  sailed  before  the  mast; 
but  seemed  like  a  mate  or  skipper,  accustomed  to  be  obeyed  or  to 
strike.  The  man  who  came  with  the  barrow  told  us  the  mail  had 
set  him  down  the  morning  before  at  the  Royal  George;  that  he  had 
inquired  what  inns  there  were  along  the  coast,  and  hearing  ours  well 
spoken  of,  I  suppose,  and  described  as  lonely,  had  chosen  it  from 
the  others  for  his  place  of  residence.  And  that  was  all  we  could 
learn  of  our  guest. 

He  was  a  very  silent  man  by  custom.  All  day  he  hung  round  the 
cove,  or  upon  the  cliffs,  with  a  brass  telescope;  all  evening  he  sat  in 
a  corner  of  the  parlor  next  the  fire,  and  drank  rum  and  water  very 
strong.  Mostly  he  would  not  speak  when  spoken  to;  only  look  up 
sudden  and  fierce,  and  blow  through  his  nose  .like  a  fog-horn;  and 
we  and  the  people  who  came  about  our  house  soon  learned  to  let 
him  be.  Every  day,  when  he  came  back  from  his  stroll,  he  would 
ask  if  any  seafaring  men  had  gone  by  along  the  road?  At  first  we 
thought  it  was  the  want  of  company  of  his  own  kind  that  made  him 
ask  this  question;  but  at  last  we  began  to  see  he  was  desirous  to 
avoid  them.  When  a  seaman  put  up  at  the  Admiral  Benbow  (as 
now  and  then  some  did,  making  by  the  coast  road  for  Bristol),  he 
would  look  in  at  him  through  the  curtained  door  before  he  entered 
the  parlor;  and  he  was  always  sure  to  be  as  silent  as  a  mouse  when 
any  such  was  present.  For  me,  at  least,  there  was  no  secret  about 
the  matter;  for  I  was,  in  a  way,  a  sharer  in  his  alarms. 

He  had  taken  me  aside  one  day,  and  promised  me  a  silver  four- 
penny  on  the  first  of  every  month  if  I  would  only  keep  my ' '  weather- 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  7 

eye  open  for  a  seafaring  man  with  one  leg,"  and  let  him  know  the 
moment  he  appeared.  Often  enough,  when  the  first  of  the  month 
came  round,  and  I  applied  to  him  for  my  wage,  he  would  only 
blow  through  his  nose  at  me,  and  stare  me  down,  but  before  the 
week  was  out  he  was  sure  to  think  better  of  it,  bring  me  my  four- 
penny  piece,  and  repeat  his  orders  to  look  out  for  "  the  seafaring 
man  with  one  leg." 

How  that  personage  haunted  my  dreams,  I  need  scarcely  tell  you. 
On  stormy  nights,  when  the  wind  shook  the  four  corners  of  the 
house,  and  the  surf  roared  along  the  cove  and  up  the  cliffs,  I  would 
see  him  in  a  thousand  forms,  and  with  a  thousand  diabolical  ex- 
pressions. Now  the  leg  would  be  cut  off  at  the  knee,  now  at  the 
hip;  now  he  was  a  monstrous  kind  of  a  creature  who  had  never  had 
but  the  one  leg,  and  that  in  the  middle  of  his  body.  To  see  him 
leap  and  run  and  pursue  me  over  hedge  and  ditch,  was  the  worst  of 
nightmares.  And  altogether  I  paid  pretty  dear  for  my  monthly 
fourpenny  piece  in  the  shape  of  these  abominable  fancies. 

But  though  I  was  so  terrified  by  the  idea  of  the  seafaring  man 
with  one  leg,  I  was  far  less  afraid  of  the  captain  himself  than  any- 
body else  who  knew  him.  There  were  nights  when  he  took  a  deal 
more  rum  and  water  than  his  head  would  carry;  and  then  he  would 
sometimes  sit  and  sing  his  wicked,  old,  wild  sea-songs,  minding  no- 
body; but  sometimes  he  would  call  for  glasses  round,  and  force  all 
the  trembling  company  to  listen  to  his  stories  or  bear  a  chorus  to 
his  singing.  Often  I  have  heard  the  house  shaking  with  "  Yo-ho- 
ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum;"  all  the  neighbors  joining  in  for  dear  life, 
with  the  fear  of  death  upon  them,  and  each  singing  louder  than  the 
other,  to  avoid  remark.  For  in  these  fits  he  was  the  most  over- 
riding companion  ever  known;  he  would  slap  his  hand  on  the  table 
for  silence  all  round;  he  would  fly  up  in  a  passion  of  anger  at  a 
question,  or  sometimes  because  none  was  put,  and  so  he  judged  the 
company  was  not  following  his  story.  Nor  would  he  allow  any  one 
to  leave  the  inn  till  he  had  drunk  himself  sleepy  and  reeled  off  1o 
bed. 

His  stories  were  what  frightened  people  worst  of  all.  Dreadful 
stories  they  were;  about  hanging,  and  walking  the  plank,  and 
storms  at  sea,  and  the  Dry  Tortugas,  and  wild  deeds  and  places  on 
the  Spanish  Main.  By  his  own  account,  he  must  have  lived  his  life 
among  some  of  the  wickedest  men  that  God  ever  allowed  upon  the 
sea;  and  the  language  in  which  he  told  these  stories  shocked  our 
plain  countr}^  people  almost  as  much  as  the  crimes  that  he  described. 
My  father  was  always  saying  the  iun  would  be  ruined,  for  people 


8  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

would  soon  cease  coming  there  to  be  tyrannized  over  and  put  down, 
and  sent  shivering  to  their  beds;  but  I  really  believe  his  presence 
did  us  good.  People  were  frightened  at  the  time,  but  on  looking 
back  they  rather  liked  it;  it  was  a  fine  excitement  in  a  quiet  country 
life;  and  there  was  even  a  party  of  the  younger  men  who  pretended 
to  admire  him,  culling  him  a  "  true  sea-dog,"  and  a  "  real  old  salt," 
and  such  like  names,  and  saying  there  was  the  sort  of  man  that 
made  England  terrible  at  sea. 

In  one  way,  indeed,  he  bade  fair  to  ruin  us;  for  he  kept  on  stay- 
ing week  after  week,  and  at  last  month  after  month,  so  that  all  the 
money  had  been  long  exhausted,  and  still  my  father  never  plucked 
up  the  heart  to  insist  on  having  more.  If  ever  he  mentioned  it,  the 
captain  blew  through  his  nose  so  loudly,  that  you  might  say  he 
roared,  and  stared  mj'  poor  father  out  of  the  room.  I  have  seen  him 
wringing  his  hands  after  such  a  rebuff,  and  I  am  sure  the  annoy- 
ance and  the  terror  he  lived  in  must  have  greatly  hastened  his  early 
and  unhappy  death. 

All  the  time  he  lived  with  us  the  captain  made  no  change  what- 
ever in  his  dress  but  to  buy  some  stockings  from  a  hawker.  One 
of  the  cocks  of  his  hat  having  fallen  down,  he  let  it  hang  from  that 
day  forth,  though  it  was  a  great  annoyance  when  it  blew.  I  remem- 
ber the  appearance  of  his  coat,  which  he  patched  himself  upstairs  in 
his  room,  and  which,  before  the  end,  was  nothing  but  patches.  lie 
never  wrote  or  received  a  letter,  and  he  never  spoke  with  any  but 
the  neighbors,  and  with  these,  for  the  most  part,  only  when  drunk 
on  rum.     The  great  sea-chest  none  of  us  had  ever  seen  open. 

He  was  only  once  crossed,  and  that  was  toward  the  end,  when 
my  poor  father  was  far  gone  in  a  decline  that  took  him  off.  Dr. 
Livesej'^  came  late  one  afternoon  to  see  the  patient,  took  a  bit  of 
dinner  from  my  mother,  and  went  into  the  parlor  to  smoke  a  pipe 
until  his  horse  should  come  down  from  the  hamlet,  for  we  had  no 
stabling  at  the  old  Benbow.  I  followed  him  in,  and  I  remember 
observing  the  contrast  the  neat,  bright  doctor,  with  his  powder  as 
white  as  snow,  and  his  bright,  black  eyes  and  pleasant  manners, 
made  with  the  coltish  country  folk,  and  above  all,  with  that  filthy, 
heavy,  bleared  scarecrow  of  a  pirate  of  ours,  sitting  far  gone  in  rum, 
with  his  arms  on  the  table.  Suddenly  he— the  captain,  that  is— 
began  to  pipe  up  his  eternal  song: 

"  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest— 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  1 
Drink  and  tlie  devil  had  done  for  the  rest— 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  I" 


TREAStJEE    ISLAND.  9 

At  first  I  had  supposed  "  the  dead  man's  chest  "  to  be  that  identical 
big  box  of  his  upstairs  in  the  front  room,  and  the  thought  had  been 
mingled  in  my  nightmares  with  that  of  the  one-legged  seafaring 
man.  But  by  this  time  we  had  all  long  ceased  to  pay  any  particu- 
lar notice  to  the  song;  it  was  new,  that  night,  to  nobody  but  Dr. 
Livesey,  and  on  him  I  observed  it  did  not  produce  an  agreeable 
effect,  for  he  looked  up  for  a  moment  quite  angrily  before  he  went 
on  with  his  talk  to  old  Taylor,  the  gardener,  on  a  new  cure  for 
riieumatics.  In  the  meantime,  the  captain  gradually  brightened  up 
at  his  own  music,  and  at  last  flapped  his  hand  upon  Ihe  table  before 
him  in  a  way  we  all  knew  to  mean — silence.  The  voices  stopped  at 
once,  all  but  Dr.  Livesey 's;  he  went  on  as  before,  speaking  clear 
and  kind,  and  drawing  briskly  at  his  pipe  between  every  word  or 
two.  The  captain  glared  at  him  for  awhile,  flapped  his  hand  again, 
glared  still  harder,  and  a1  last  broke  out  with  a  villainous,  low 
oath:  "  Silence,  there,  between  decks!" 

"  Were  you  addressing  me,  sir?"  says  the  doctor;  and  when  the 
rulEan  had  told  him,  with  another  oath,  that  this  was  so,  "I  have 
only  one  thing  to  say  to  you,  sir,"  replies  the  doctor,  "  that  if  you 
keep  on  drinking  rum,  the  world  will  soon  be  quit  of  a  very  dirty 
scoundrel!" 

The  old  fellow's  fury  was  awful.  He  sprung  to  his  feet,  drew 
and  opened  a  sailor's  clasp-knife,  and,  balancing  it  open  on  the 
palm  of  his  hand,  threatened  to  pin  the  doctor  to  the  wall. 

The  doctor  never  so  much  as  moved.  He  spoke  to  him,  as  before, 
over  his  shoulder,  and  in  the  same  tone  of  voice;  rather  high,  so 
that  all  the  room  might  hear,  but  perfectly  calm  and  steady : 

"If  you  do  not  put  that  knife  this  instant  into  your  pocket,  I 
promise,  upon  my  honor,  you  shall  hang  at  next  assizes." 

Then  followed  a  battle  of  looks  between  them;  but  the  captain 
soon  knuckled  under,  put  up  his  weapon,  and  resumed  his  seat, 
grumbling  like  a  beaten  dog. 

"And  now,  sir,"  continued  the  doctor,  "since  I  now  know 
there's  such  a  fellow  in  my  district,  you  may  count  I'll  have  an  eye 
upon  you  day  and  night.  I'm  not  a  doctor  only;  I'm  a  magistrate; 
and  if  I  catch  a  breath  of  complaint  against  you,  if  it's  only  for  a 
piece  of  incivility  like  to-night's,  I'll  take  effectual  means  to  have 
you  hunted  down  and  routed  out  of  this.     Let  that  suffice." 

Soon  after  Dr.  Livesey's  horse  came  to  the  door,  and  he  rode 
away;  but  the  captain  held  his  peace  that  evening,  and  for  many 
evenings  to  come. 


10  TREASURE    ISLAND. 


CHAPTER  n. 

BLACK  DOG  APPEARS  AND  DISAPPEAES. 

It  was  not  very  long  after  this  that  there  occurred  the  first  of  the 
mysterious  events  that  rid  us  at  last  of  the  captain,  though  not,  as 
you  will  see,  of  his  affairs.  It  was  a  bitter  cold  winter,  with  long, 
hard  frosts  and  heavy  gales;  and  it  was  plain  from  the  first  that  my 
poor  father  was  little  likely  to  see  the  spring.  He  sunk  daily,  and 
my  mother  and  I  had  all  the  inn  upon  our  hands;  and  were  kept 
busy  enough  without  paying  much  regard  to  our  unpleasant  guest. 

It  was  one  January  morning,  very  early — a  pinching,  frosty  morn- 
ing— the  cove  all  gray  with  hoar-frost,  the  ripple  lapping  softly  on 
the  stones,  the  sun  still  low,  and  only  touching  the  hill-tops  and 
shining  far  to  seaward.  The  captain  had  risen  earlier  than  usual, 
and  set  out  down  the  beach,  his  cutlass  swinging  under  the  broad 
skirts  of  tbe  old  blue  coat,  his  brass  telescope  under  his  arm,  his  hat 
tilted  back  upon  his  head.  I  remember  his  breath  hanging  lilie 
smoke  in  his  wake  as  he  strode  off,  and  the  last  sound  I  heard  of 
him,  as  he  turned  the  big  rock,  was  a  loud  snort  of  indignation,  as 
though  his  mind  was  still  running  upon  Dr.  Livesey. 

Well,  mother  was  upstairs  with  father;  and  I  was  laying  the 
breakfast  table  against  the  captain's  return,  when  the  parlor  door 
opened,  and  a  man  stepped  in  on  whom  I  had  never  set  my  eyes  be- 
fore. He  was  a  pale,  tallowy  creature,  wanting  two  fingers  of  the 
left  hand;  and,  though  he  wore  a  cutlass,  he  did  not  look  much  like 
a  fighter.  I  had  always  my  eye  open  for  seafaring  men,  with  one 
leg  or  two,  and  I  remember  this  one  puzzled  me.  He  was  not 
sailorly,  and  yet  he  had  a  smack  of  the  sea  about  him  too. 

I  asked  him  what  was  for  his  service,  and  he  said  he  would  take 
rum;  but  as  I  was  going  out  of  the  room  to  fetch  it  he  sat  down 
upon  a  table,  and  motioned  to  me  to  draw  near.  I  paused  where  1 
was  with  my  napkin  in  my  hand. 

"  Come  here,  sonny,"  says  he.     "  Come  nearer  here." 

I  took  a  step  nearer. 

"  Is  this  here  table  for  my  mate,  Bill?"  he  asked,  with  a  kind  of 
leer. 

I  told  him  I  did  not  know  his  mate,  Bill ;  and  this  was  for  a  per- 
son who  stayed  in  our  house,  whom  we  called  the  captain. 

"  WeU,"  said  he,  "my  mate  Bill  would  be  called  the  captain,  as 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  Jl 

like  as  not.    He  has  a  cut  on  one  cheek,  and  a  mighty  pleasant  way 
with  him,  particularly  in  drink,  has  my  mate,  Bill.     We'll  put  it, 
for  argument  like,  that  your  captain  has  a  cut  on  one  cheek — and 
we'll  put  it,  if  you  like,  that  that  cheek's  the  right  one.     Ah,  well! 
1  told  you.    Now,  is  my  mate  Bill  in  this  here  house?" 
I  told  him  he  was  out  walking. 
"  Which  way,  sonny?    Which  way  is  he  gone?" 
And  when  I  had  pointed  out  the  rock  and  told  him  how  the  cap- 
tain was  likely  to  return,  and  how  soon,  and  answered  a  few  other 
questions,  "  Ah,"  said  he,  "  this'll  be  as  good  as  drink  to  my  mate. 
Bill." 

The  expression  of  his  face  as  he  said  these  words  was  not  at  all 
pleasant,  and  I  had  my  own  reasons  for  thinking  that  the  stranger 
was  mistaken,  even  supposing  he  meant  what  he  said.  But  it  was 
no  affiiir  of  mine,  I  thought;  and,  besides,  it  was  difficult  to  know 
what  to  do.  The  stranger  kept  hanging  about  just  inside  the  inn 
door,  peering  round  the  corner  like  a  cat  waiting  for  a  mouse.  Once 
I  stepped  out  myself  into  the  road,  but  he  immediately  called  me 
back,  and,  as  I  did  not  obey  quick  enough  for  his  fancy,  a  most 
horrible  change  came  over  his  tallowy  face,  and  he  ordered  me  in, 
with  an  oath  that  made  me  jump. 

As  soon  as  I  was  back  again  he  returned  to  his  former  manner, 
half  fawning,  half  sneering,  patted  me  on  the  shoulder,  told  me  I 
was  a  good  boy,  and  he  had  taken  quite  a  fancy  to  me.  "  I  have  a 
son  of  my  cwn,"  said  he,  "  as  like  you  as  two  blocks,  and  he's  all 
the  pride  of  my  'art.  But  the  great  thing  for  boys  is  discipline, 
sonny — discipline.  Now,  if  you  had  sailed  along  of  Bill,  you 
wouldn't  have  stood  there  to  be  spoke  to  twice — not  you.  That  was 
never  Bill's  way,  nor  the  way  of  sich  as  sailed  with  him.  And 
here,  sure  enough,  is  my  mate.  Bill,  with  a  spy-glass  under  his  arm, 
bless  his  old  'art,  to  be  sure.  You  and  me'll  just  go  back  into  the 
parlor,  sonny,  and  get  behind  the  door,  and  we'll  give  Bill  a  little 
surprise — bless  his  'art,  I  say  again." 

So  saying,  the  stranger  backed  along  with  me  into  the  parlor,  and 
put  me  behind  him  in  the  corner,  so  that  we  were  both  hidden  by 
the  open  door.  I  was  very  uneasy  and  alarmed,  as  you  may  fancy, 
and  it  rather  added  to  my  fears  to  observe  that  the  stranger  was 
certainly  frightened  himself.  He  cleared  the  hilt  of  his  cutlass  and 
loosened  the  blade  in  the  sheath;  and  all  the  time  we  were  waiting 
there  he  kept  swallowing  as  if  he  felt  what  we  used  to  call  a  lump 
in  the  throat. 
At  las*  in  strode  the  captain,  slammed  the  door  behind  him,  with- 


1^  tRfiASURE    ISLAND. 

out  looking  to  the  right  or  left,  and  marched  straight  across  the 
room  to  where  his  breakfast  awaited  him, 

"  Bill,"  said  the  stranger,  in  a  voice  that  I  thought  he  had  tried 
to  make  bold  and  big. 

The  captain  spun  round  on  his  heel  and  fronted  us;  all  the  brown 
had  gone  out  of  his  face,  and  even  his  nose  was  blue;  he  had  the 
look  of  a  man  who  sees  a  ghost,  or  the  Evil  One,  or  something  worse, 
if  anything  can  be;  and,  upon  my  word,  I  felt  sorry  to  see  him,  all 
in  a  moment,  turn  so  old  and  sick. 

"  Come,  Bill,  you  know  me;  you  know  an  old  shipmate.  Bill, 
surely,"  said  the  stranger. 

The  captain  made  a  sort  of  gasp. 

"  Black  Dog!"  said  he. 

"  And  who  else?"  returned  the  other,  getting  more  at  his  ease. 
"  Black  Dog  as  ever  was,  come  for  to  see  his  old  shipmate,  Billy,  at 
the  Admiral  Benbow  Inn.  Ah,  Bill,  Bill,  we  have  seen  a  sight  of 
times,  us  two,  since  I  lost  them  two  talons,"  holding  up  his  muti- 
lated hand. 

"  Now,  look  here,"  said  the  captain;  "  you've  run  me  down;  here 
I  am;  well,  then,  speak  up;  what  is  it?" 

"  That's  you,  Bill,"  returned  Black  Dog,  "  you're  in  the  right  of 
it,  Billy.  I'll  have  a  glass  of  rum  from  this  dear  child  here,  as  I've 
took  such  a  liking  to;  and  we'll  sit  down,  if  you  please,  and  talk 
square,  like  old  shipmates." 

When  I  returned  with  the  rum,  they  were  already  seated  on  either 
side  of  the  captain's  breakfast-table — Black  Dog  next  to  the  door, 
and  sitting  sideways,  so  as  to  have  one  eye  on  his  old  shipmate,  and 
one,  as  I  thought,  on  his  retreat. 

He  bade  me  go,  and  leave  the  door  wide  open.  "  None  of  your 
key-holes  for  me,  sonny,"  he  said;  and  I  left  them  together,  and  re- 
tired into  the  bar. 

For  a  long  time,  though  I  certainly  did  my  best  to  listen,  I  could 
hear  nothing  but  a  low  gabbling;  but  at  last  the  voices  began  to 
grow  higher,  and  I  could  pick  up  a  word  or  two,  mostly  oaths,  from 
the  captain. 

"  No,  no,  no,  no;  and  an  end  of  iti"  he  cried  once.    And  again, 
it  comes  to  swinging,  swing  all,  say  I." 

len  all  of  a  sudden  there  was  a  tremendous  explosion  of  oaths 
and  other  noises -the  chair  and  table  went  over  in  a  lump,  a  clash 
of  steel  followed,  and  then  a  cry  of  pain,  and  the  next  instant  I  saw 
Black  Dog  in  full  flight,  and  the  captain  hotly  pursuing,  both  with 
drawn  cutlasses,  and  the  former  streaming  blood  from  the  left 


TKEASURE    ISLAND.  13 

shoulder.  Just  at  the  door,  the  captain  aimed  at  the  fugitive  one 
Jast  tremendous  cut,  which  would  certainly  have  split  him  to  the 
chine  had  it  not  been  intercepted  by  our  big  signboard  of  Admiral 
Benbow.  You  may  see  the  notch  on  the  lower  side  of  the  frame  to 
this  day. 

That  blow  was  the  last  of  the  battle.  Once  out  upon  the  road. 
Black  Dog,  in  spite  of  his  wound,  showed  a  wonderful  clean  pair 
of  heels,  and  disappeared  over  the  edge  of  the  hill  in  half  a  minute. 
The  captain,  for  his  part,  stood  staring  at  the  signboard  like  a  be- 
wildered man.  Then  he  passed  his  hand  over  his  eyes  several  times, 
and  at  last  turned  back  into  the  house. 

"Jim,"  says  he,  "  rum;"  and,  as  he  spoke,  he  reeled  a  little, 
and  caught  himself  with  one  hand  against  the  wall. 
"  Are  you  hurt?"  cried  I. 

"Rum,"  he  repeated,  "I  must  get  away  from  here.  Ruml 
rum!" 

I  ran  to  fetch  it;  but  I  was  quite  unsteadied  by  all  that  had  fallen 
out,  and  I  broke  one  glass  and  fouled  the  tap,  and  while  I  was  still 
getting  in  my  own  way,  I  heard  a  loud  fall  in  tlie  parlor,  and,  run- 
ning in,  beheld  the  captain  lying  full  length  upon  the  floor.  At  the 
same  instant  my  mother,  alarmed  by  the  crits  and  fighting,  came 
running  down-stairs  to  help  me.  Between  us  we  raised  his  head. 
He  was  breathing  very  loud  and  hard;  but  his  eyes  were  closed, 
and  his  face  a  horrible  color. 

"  Dear,  deary  me,"  cried  my  mother,  "  what  a  disgrace  upon  the 
house!     And  your  poor  father  sick!" 

In  the  meantime,  we  had  no  idea  what  to  do  to  help  the  captain, 
nor  any  other  thought  but  that  he  had  got  his  death-hurt  in  the 
scufiie  with  the  stranger.  I  got  the  rum,  to  be  sure,  and  tried  to 
put  it  down  his  throat;  but  his  teeth  were  tightly  shut,  and  his  jaws 
as  strong  as  iron.  It  was  a  happy  relief  for  us  when  the  door  opened 
and  Dr.  Livesey  came  in,  on  his  visit  to  my  father. 

"  Oh,  doctor,"  we  cried,  *'  what  shall  we  do?  Where  is  he 
wounded?" 

"  Wounded?  A  fiddle-stick's  end!"  said  the  doctor.  "  No  more 
wounded  than  you  or  I.  The  man  has  had  a  stroke,  as  I  warned 
him.  Now,  INIrs.  Hawkins,  just  you  run  upstairs  to  your  husband, 
and  tell  him,  if  possible,  nothing  about  it.  For  my  part,  I  must  do 
my  best  to  save  this  fellow's  trebly  worthless  life;  and  Jirn  here  will 
get  me  a  basin." 

When  I  got  back  with  the  basin,  the  doctor  had  already  ripped 
up  the  captain's  sleeve,  and  exposed  his  great  sinewy  arm.     It  was 


14  TEEASURE    ISLAND. 

tattooed  ia  several  places.  "Here's  luck,"  "  A  fair  wind,"  and 
"  Billy  Bones  his  fancy,"  were  very  neatly  and  clearly  executed  on 
the  forearm;  and  up  near  the  shoulder  there  was  a  sketch  of  a  gal- 
lows and  a  man  hauging  from  it— done,  as  I  thought,  with  great 
spirit. 

"  Prophetic,"  said  the  doctor,  touching  this  picture  with  his 
finger.  "  And  now.  Master  Billy  Bones,  if  that  be  your  name,  we'll 
have  a  look  at  the  color  of  your  blood.  Jim,"  he  said,  "are  you 
afraid  of  blood?" 

"  No,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  he,  '*  you  hold  the  basin;"  and  with  that  he 
took  his  lancet  and  opened  a  vein. 

A  great  deal  of  blood  was  taken  before  the  captain  opened  his 
eyes  and  looked  mistily  about  him.  First  he  recognized  the  doctor 
with  an  unmistakable  frown;  then  his  glance  fell  upon  me,  and  ho 
looked  relieved.  But  suddenly  his  color  changed,  and  he  tried  to 
raise  himself,  crying: 

"  Where's  Black  Dog?" 

"There  is  no  Black  Dog  here,"  said  the  doctor,  "  except  what 
you  have  on  your  own  back.  You  have  been  drinking  rum;  you 
have  had  a  stroke,  precisely  as  I  told  you;  and  1  have  just,  very 
much  against  my  own  will,  dragged  you  headforemost  out  of  the 
grave.    Now,  Mr.  Bones — " 

"  That's  not  my  name,"  he  interrupted. 

"  Much  I  care,"  returned  the  doctor.  "  It's  the  name  of  a  buc- 
caneer of  my  acquaintance;  and  I  call  you  by  it  for  the  sake  of 
shortness,  and  what  I  have  to  say  to  you  is  this :  one  glass  of  rum 
won't  kill  you,  but  if  you  take  one  you'll  take  another  and  another, 
and  I  stake  my  wig  if  you  don't  break  off  short,  you'll  die — do 
you  understand  that? — die,  and  go  to  your  own  place,  like  the  man 
in  the  Bible.  Come,  now,  make  an  effort.  I'll  help  you  to  your 
bed  for  once." 

Between  us,  with  much  trouble,  we  managed  to  hoist  him  up- 
stairs, and  laid  him  on  his  bed,  where  his  head  fell  back  on  the  pil- 
low, as  if  he  were  almost  fainting. 

"  Now,  mind  you,"  said  the  doctor,  '  .-  clear  my  conscience — the 
name  of  rum  for  you  is  death." 

And  with  that  he  went  off  to  see  Jey  taiLei,  taking  me  with  him 
by  the  arm. 

"This  is  nothing,"  he  said,  as  so(M2  SS  5ie  bfiC  dosed  the  door, 
"  I  have  drawn  blood  enough  tc  keep  lu^  oiisse*-  ■^wiifle;  he  should 


TEEASURE    ISLAND.  IS 

iie  for  a  week  where  he  is — that  is  the  best  thing  for  him  and  you; 
but  another  stroke  would  settle  him." 


CHAPTER  IIL 

THE    BLACK    SPOT. 

About  noon  I  stopped  at  the  captain's  door  with  some  cooling 

drinks  and  medicines.   He  was  lying  very  much  as  we  had  left  him, 
only  a  little  higher,  and  he  seemed  both  weak  and  excited. 

"Jim,"  he  said,  "you're  the  only  one  here  that's  worth  any- 
thing; and  you  know  I've  been  always  good  to  you.  Never  a 
month  but  I've  given  you  a  silver  fourpenny  for  yourself.  And 
now  you  see,  mate,  I'm  pretty  low,  and  deserted  by  all;  and  Jim, 
you'll  bring  me  one  noggin  of  rum,  now  won't  you,  matey?" 
"  The  doctor — "  I  began. 

But  he  broke  in  cursing  the  doctor,  in  a  feeble  voice,  but  heartily. 
"Doctors  is  all  swabs,"  he  said;  "and  that  doctor  there,  why, 
what  do  he  know  about  seafaring  men?  I  been  in  places  hot  as 
pitch,  and  mates  dropping  round  with  Yellow  Jack,  and  the  blessed 
land  a-heaving  like  the  sea  with  earthquakes — what  do  the  doctor 
know  of  lands  like  that? — and  I  lived  on  rum,  I  tell  you.  It's  been 
meat  and  drink,  and  man  and  wife,  to  me;  and  if  I'm  not  to  have 
my  rum  now  I'm  a  poor  old  hulk  on  a  lee  shore,  mj"-  blood  '11  be 
on  you,  Jim,  and  that  doctor  swab;"  and  he  ran  on  again  for  awhile 
with  curses.  "  Look,  Jim,  how  my  fingers  fldges,"  he  continued, 
in  the  pleading  tone.  "  I  can't  keep  'em  still,  not  I.  I  haven't  had 
a  drop  this  blessed  day.  That  doctor's  a  fool,  I  tell  you.  If  I  don't 
have  a  drain  o'  rum,  Jim,  I'll  have  the  horrors;  I  seen  some  on  'em 
already.  I  seen  old  Flint  in  the  corner  there,  behind  you;  as  plain 
as  print,  I  seen  him;  and  if  I  get  the  horrors,  I'm  a  man  that  has 
lived  rough,  and  I'll  raise  Cain.  Your  doctor  hisself  said  one  glass  ^ 
wouldn't  hurt  me.  I'll  give  you  a  golden  guinea  for  a  noggin, 
Jim." 

He  was  growing  more  and  more  excited,  and  this  alarmed  me  for 
my  father,  who  was  very  low  that  day,  and  needed  quiet;  besides, 
I  was  reassured  by  the  doctor's  words,  now  quoted  to  me,  and  rather 
offended  by  the  offer  of  a  bribe. 

*'  I  want  none  of  your  money,"  said  I,  "  but  what  you  owe  my 
father.    I'll  get  you  one  glass,  and  no  more." 

When  I  brought  it  to  him,  he  seized  it  greedily,  and  drank  it  out. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  he,  "  that's  some  better,  sure  enough.    And  now,- 


Ig  TBEASURE    ISLAIH). 

matey,  did  that  doctor  say  how  long  I  was  to  lie  hero  in  this  old 

bertk  r 

"  A  week  at  least,"  said  L 

"  Thunder  1"  he  cried.  "  A  week!  I  can't  do  that:  they'd  have 
a  black  spot  on  me  by  then.  The  lubbers  is  going  about  to  get  the 
wind  of  me  this  blessed  moment;  lubbers  as  couldn't  keep  what 
they  got,  and  want  to  nail  what  is  another's.  Is  that  seamanly  be- 
havior, now,  I  want  to  know?  But  I'm  a  saving  soul.  I  ncvei 
wasted  good  money  of  mine,  nor  lost  it  neither;  and  I'll  trick  'em 
again.  I'm  not  afraid  on  'era.  I'll  shake  out  another  reef,  matey, 
and  daddle  'em  again." 

As  he  was  thus  speaking,  he  had  risen  from  bed  with  great  diffi- 
culty, holding  to  my  shoulder  with  a  grip  that  almost  made  me  cry 
out,  and  moving  his  legs  like  so  much  dead  weight.  His  words, 
spirited  as  they  were  in  meaning,  contrasted  sadly  with  the  weak- 
ness of  the  voice  ia  which  they  were  uttered.  He  paused  when  he 
had  got  into  a  sitting  position  on  the  edge. 

"  That  doctor's  done  me,"  he  murmured.  "  My  ears  is  singing. 
Lay  me  back," 

Before  I  could  do  much  to  help  him  he  had  fallen  back  again  to 
his  former  place,  where  he  lay  for  awhile  silent, 

"  Jim,"  he  said,  at  length,  "  you  saw  that  seafaring  man  to-day?" 

"Black  Dog?"  I  asked. 

"  Ahl  Black  Dog,"  says  he.  "  Se's  a  bad  'un;  but  there's  worse 
that  put  him  on.  Now,  if  I  can't  get  away  nohow,  and  tliey  tip 
me  the  black  spot,  mind  you,  it's  my  old  sea-chest  they're  after: 
you  get  on  a  horse— you  can,  can't  you?  Well,  then  you  get  on  s. 
horse,  and  go  to — well,  yes,  I  will!— to  that  eternal  doct(ir  swab, 
and  tell  him  to  pipe  all  hands — magistrates  and  sich — and  he'll  lay 
'em  aboard  at  the  Admiral  Benbow — all  old  Flint's  crew,  man  and 
boy,  all  on  'em  that's  left.  I  was  first  mate,  I  was,  old  Flint's  first 
mate,  and  I'm  the  on'y  one  as  knows  the  place.  He  gave  it  me  to 
Savannah,  when  he  lay  a-dying,  like  as  if  I  was  to  now,  you  see. 
But  you  won't  peach  unless  they  get  the  black  spot  on  me,  or  un- 
less you  see  that  Black  Dog  again,  or  a  seafaring  man  with  one  leg 
Jim — him  above  all." 

"  But  what  is  the  black  spot,  captain?"  I  asked. 

"  That's  a  summons,  mate,  I'll  tell  you  if  they  get  that.  But 
you  keep  your  weather-eye  open,  Jim,  and  I'll  share  with  you 
equals,  upon  my  honor." 

He  wandered  a  little  longer,  his  voice  gi'owing  weaker;  but  soon 
after  I  had  given  him  his  medicine,  which  he  took  like  a  child, 


TEEASURE    ISLAIfD.  17 

with  the  remark,  "  if  ever  a  seaman  wanted  drugs,  it's  me,"  lie  fell 
at  last  into  a  heavy,  swoon  like  sleep,  in  which  I  left  him.  What  I 
should  have  done  had  all  gone  well  I  do  not  know.  Probably  I 
should  have  told  the  whole  story  to  the  doctor;  for  I  was  in  mortal 
fear  lest  the  captain  should  repent  of  his  confessions  and  make  an 
end  of  me.  But  as  things  fell  out,  my  poor  father  died  quite  sud- 
denly that  evening,  which  put  all  other  matters  on  one  side.  Our 
natural  distress,  the  visits  of  the  neighbors,  the  arranging  of  the 
funeral,  and  all  the  work  of  the  inn  to  be  carried  on  in  the  mean- 
while, kept  me  so  busy  that  I  had  scarcely  time  to  think  of  the  cap- 
tain, far  less  to  be  afraid  of  him. 

He  got  down-stairs  next  morning,  to  be  sure,  and  had  his  meals 
as  usual,  though  he  eat  little,  and  had  more,  I  am  afraid,  than  his 
usual  supply  of  rum,  for  he  helped  himself  out  of  the  bar,  scowling 
and  blowing  through  his  nose,  and  no  one  dared  to  cross  him.  On 
the  night  before  the  funeral  he  was  as  drunk  as  ever;  and  it  was 
shocking,  in  that  house  of  mourning,  to  hear  him  singing  away  his 
ugly  old  sea-song;  but,  weak  as  he  was,  we  were  all  in  fear  of  death 
for  him,  and  the  doctor  was  suddenly  taken  up  with  a  case  many 
miles  away,  and  was  never  near  the  house  after  my  father's  death. 
I  have  said  the  captain  was  weak;  and  indeed  he  seemed  rather  to 
grow  weaker  than  regain  his  strength.  He  clambered  up  and  down- 
stairs, and  went  from  the  parlor  to  the  bar  and  back  again,  and 
sometimes  put  his  nose  out  of-doors  to  smell  the  sea,  holding  on  to 
the  walls  as  he  went  for  support,  and  breathing  hard  and  fast  like  a 
man  on  a  steep  mountain.  He  never  particularly  addressed  me,  and 
it  is  my  belief  he  had  as  good  as  forgotten  his  confidences;  but  his 
temper  was  more  flighty,  and,  allowing  for  his  bodily  weakness, 
more  violent  than  ever.  He  had  an  alarming  way  now  when  he 
was  drunk  of  drawing  his  cutlass  and  laying  it  bare  before  him  on 
the  table.  But,  with  all  that,  he  minded  people  less,  and  seemed 
shut  up  in  his  own  thoughts  and  rather  wandering.  Once,  for  in- 
stance, to  our  extreme  wonder,  he  piped  up  to  a  different  air,  a  kind 
of  country  love-song,  that  he  must  have  learned  in  his  youth  before 
he  had  begun  to  follow  the  sea. 

So  things  passed  until,  the  day  after  the  funerel,  and  about  three 
o'clock  of  a  bitter,  foggy,  frosty  afternoon,  I  was  standing  at  the 
door  for  a  moment,  full  of  sad  thoughts  about  my  father,  when  1 
saw  some  one  drawing  slowly  near  along  the  road.  He  was  plainly 
blind,  for  he  tapped  before  him  with  a  stick,  and  wore  a  great  green 
shade  over  his  eyes  and  nose;  and  he  was  hunched,  as  if  with  age 
or  weakness,  and  wore  a  huge  old  tattered  sea-cloak  with  a  hood 


18  TREASURE    ISLAKI). 

that  made  him  appear  positively  deformed.  I  never  saw  in  my  life 
a  more  dreadful-looking  figure.  He  stopped  a  Utile  from  the  inn, 
and  raising  his  voice  in  an  odd  sing-song,  addressed  the  air  in  front 
of  him: 

"  Will  any  kind  friend  inform  a  poor  blind  man,  who  has  Jost  the 
precijus  sight  of  his  eyes  in  the  gracious  defense  of  his  native  coun- 
try, England,  and  God  bless  King  George! — where  or  in  what  part 
of  this  country  he  may  now  be?" 

"  You  are  at  the  Admiral  Benbow,  Black  Hill  Cove,  my  good 
man,"  said  I. 

"  I  hear  a  voice,"  said  he,  "a  young  voice.  Will  you  give  mo 
your  hand,  my  kind  young  friend,  and  lead  me  in?" 

I  held  out  my  hand,  and  the  horrible,  soft-spoken,  eyeless  creature 
gripped  it  in  a  moment  like  a  vise.  I  was  so  much  startled  that  I 
struggled  to  withdraw;  but  the  blind  man  pulled  me  close  up  to  him 
with  a  single  action  of  his  arm. 

"  Now,  boy,"  he  said,  "  take  me  in  to  the  captain." 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  "  upon  my  word  I  dare  not." 

"  Oh,"  he  sneered,  "  that's  itl  Take  me  in  straight,  or  I'll  break 
your  arm." 

He  gave  it,  as  he  spoke,  a  wrench  that  made  me  cry  out. 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  "it  is  for  j^ourself  I  mean.  The  captain  is  not 
what  he  used  to  he.  He  sits  with  a  drawn  cutlass.  Another  gen- 
tleman— " 

"  Come,  now,  march,"  interrupted  he;  and  I  never  heard  a  voice 
so  cruel,  and  cold,  and  ugly  as  that  blind  man's.  It  cowed  me 
more  than  the  pain:  and  I  began  to  obey  him  at  once,  walking 
straight  in  at  the  door  and  toward  the  parlor,  where  the  sick  old 
buccaneer  was  sitting,  dazed  with  rum.  The  blind  man  clung  close 
to  me,  holding  me  in  one  iron  fist,  and  leaning  almost  more  of  his 
weight  on  me  than  I  could  carry.  "  Lead  me  straight  up  to  him, 
and  when  I'm  in  view,  cry  out,  '  Here's  a  friend  for  you.  Bill.'  If 
you  don't,  I'll  do  this;"  and  with  that  he  gave  me  a  twitch  that  I 
thought  would  have  made  me  faint.  Between  this  and  that,  I  was  so 
utterly  terrified  by  the  blind  beggar  that  I  forgot  my  terror  of  the 
captain,  and  as  I  opened  the  parlor  door,  cried  out  the  words  he  had 
ordered  in  a  trembling  voice. 

The  poor  captain  raised  his  eyes,  and  at  one  look  the  rum  went 
out  of  him,  and  left  him  staring  sober.  The  expression  of  his  face 
was  not  so  much  of  terror  as  of  mortal  sickness.  He  made  a  move- 
ment to  rise^  but  I  do  not  believe  he  had  enough  force  left  in  his 
body. 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  19 

'•  Now,  Bill,  sit  where  you  are,"  said  the  beggar.  "If  I  can't 
see,  I  can  hear  a  finger  stirring.  Business  is  business.  Hold  out 
j-our  left  hand.  Boy,  take  his  left  hand  by  the  wrist,  and  bring  it 
near  to  my  right. ' ' 

We  both  obeyed  him  to  the  letter,  and  I  saw  him  pass  something 
from  the  hollow  of  the  hand  that  held  his  sticis  into  the  palm  of  the 
captain's,  which  closed  upon  it  instantly. 

*' And  now  that's  done,"  said  the  blind  man;  and  at  the  words 
he  suddenly  left  hold  of  me,  and,  with  incredible  accuracy  and 
nimbleness,  skipped  out  of  the  parlor  and  into  the  road,  where,  as 
I  stood  motionless,  I  could  hear  his  stick  go  tap- tap- tapping  into 
the  distance. 

It  was  some  time  before  either  I  or  the  captain  seemed  to  gather 
our  senses;  but  at  length,  and  about  the  same  moment,  I  released 
his  wrist,  which  I  was  still  holding,  and  he  drew  in  his  hand,  and 
looked  sharply  into  the  palm. 

"Ten  o'clock!"  he  cried.  "Six  hours.  We'll  do  them  yet;" 
and  he  sprung  lo  his  feet. 

Even  as  he  did  so,  he  reeled,  put  his  hand  to  his  throat,  stood 
swaying  for  a  moment,  and  then,  with  a  peculiar  sound,  fell  from 
his  whole  height  face  foremost  to  the  floor. 

I  ran  to  him  at  once,  calling  to  my  mother.  But  haste  was  all  in 
vain.  The  captain  had  been  struck  dead  by  thundering  apoplexy. 
It  is  a  curious  thing  to  understand,  for  I  had  certainly  never  liked 
the  man,  though  of  late  I  had  begun  to  pity  him,  but  as  soon  as  I 
saw  that  he  was  dead,  I  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears.  It  was  the  sec- 
ond death  I  had  known,  and  the  sorrow  of  the  first  was  still  fresh 
in  my  heart. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    SEA    CHEST. 

I  LOST  no  time,  of  course,  in  telling  my  mother  all  that  I  knew, 
and  perhaps  should  have  told  her  long  before,  and  we  saw  ourselves 
at  once  in  a  difficult  and  dangerous  position.  Some  of  the  man's 
money — if  he  had  an}' — was  certainly  due  to  us;  but  it  was  not  like- 
ly that  our  captain's  shipmates,  above  all  the  two  specimens  seen  by 
me,  Black  Dog  and  the  blind  beggar,  would  be  inclined  to  give  up 
their  booty  In  payment  of  the  dead  man's  debts.  The  captain's 
order  to  mount  at  once  and  ride  for  Dr.  Livesey  would  have  left  my 
another  alone  and  unprotected,  which  was  not  to  be  thought  of 


20  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

Indeed,  it  seemed  impossible  for  either  of  us  to  remain  much  longer 
in  the  house;  the  fall  of  coals  in  the  kitchen  grate,  the  very  ticking 
of  the  clock,  filled  us  with  alarms. 

The  neighborhood,  to  our  ears,  seemed  haunted  by  approaching 
footsteps;  and  what  between  the  dead  body  of  the  captain  on  the 
parlor  floor,  and  the  thought  of  that  detestable  blind  beggar  hover- 
ing near  at  hand  and  ready  to  return,  there  were  moments  when,  as 
the  saying  goes,  I  jumped  in  my  skin  for  terror.  Something  must 
speedily  be  resolved  upon;  and  it  occurred  to  us  at  last  to  go  forth 
together  and  seek  help  in  the  neighboring  hamlet.  No  sooner  said 
than  done.  Bare-headed  as  we  were,  we  ran  out  at  once  in  the 
gathering  evening  and  the  frosty  fog. 

The  hamlet  lay  not  many  hundred  yards  away  though  out  of 
view,  on  the  other  side  of  the  next  cove;  and  what  greatly  encour- 
aged me,  it  was  in  an  opposite  direction  from  that  whence  the  blind 
man  had  made  his  appearance,  and  whither  he  had  presumably  re- 
turned. We  were  not  many  minutes  on  the  road,  though  we  some- 
times stopped  to  lay  hold  of  each  other  and  hearken.  But  there  was 
no  unusual  sound — nothing  but  the  low  wash  of  the  ripple  and  the 
croaking  of  the  crows  in  the  wood. 

It  was  already  candle-light  when  we  reached  the  hamlet,  and  I 
shall  never  forget  how  much  I  was  cheered  to  see  the  yellow  shine 
in  doors  and  windows;  but  that,  as  it  proved,  was  the  best  of  the 
help  we  were  likely  to  get  in  that  quarter.  For — you  would  have 
thought  men  would  have  been  ashamed  of  themselves — no  soul 
would  consent  to  return  with  us  to  the  Admiral  Benbow.  The 
more  we  told  of  our  troubles,  the  more — man,  woman,  and  child — 
they  clung  to  the  shelter  of  their  houses.  The  name  of  Captain 
Flint,  though  it  was  strange  to  me,  was  well  enough  known  to  some 
there,  and  carried  a  great  weight  of  terror.  Some  of  the  men  who 
had  been  to  field-work  on  the  far  side  of  the  Admiral  Benbow  re- 
membered, besides,  to  have  seen  several  strangers  on  the  road,  and, 
taking  them  to  be  smugglers,  to  have  bolted  away;  and  one  at  least 
had  seen  a  little  lugger  in  what  we  called  Kitt's  Hole,  For  that 
matter,  any  one  who  was  a  comrade  of  the  captain's  was  enough  to 
frighten  them  to  death.  And  the  short  and  the  long  of  the  matter 
was,  that  while  we  could  get  several  who  were  willing  enough  to 
ride  to  Dr.  Livesey's  which  lay  in  another  direction,  not  one  would 
help  us  to  defend  the  inn. 

They  say  cowardice  is  infectious;  but  then  argument  is,  on  the 
other  hand,  a  great  emboldener;  and  so  when  each  had  his  say,  my 
mother  made  them  a  speech.    She  would  not,  she  aeclared,  lose 


TREASURE    ISLAKD.  21 

money  that  belonged  to  her  fatherless  boy;  "  if  none  of  the  rest  of 
■  you  dare,"  she  said,  "  Jim  and  I  dare.  Back  we  will  go,  the  way 
we  came,  and  small  thanks  to  you  big,  hulking,  chicken-hearted 
men.  We'll  have  that  chest  open,  if  we  die  for  it.  And  I'll  thank 
you  for  that  bag,  Mrs.  Crossley,  to  bring  back  our  lawful  money 
in." 

Of  course,  I  said  I  would  go  with  ray  mother;  and  of  course  they 
all  cried  out  at  our  foolhardiness;  but  even  then  not  a  man  would 
go  along  with  us.  All  they  would  do  was  to  give  me  a  loaded  pis- 
tol, lest  we  were  attacked;  and  to  promise  to  have  horses  ready  sad- 
dled, in  case  we  were  pursued  on  our  return;  while  one  lad  was  to 
ride  forward  to  the  doctor's  in  search  of  armed  assistance. 

My  heart  was  beating  fiercely  when  we  two  set  forth  in  the  cold 
night  upon  this  dangerous  venture.  A  full  moon  was  beginning  to 
rise  and  peered  redly  through  the  upper  edges  of  the  fog,  and  this 
increased  our  haste,  for  it  was  plain,  before  we  came  forth  again, 
that  all  would  be  bright  as  day,  and  our  departure  exposed  to  the 
eyes  of  any  watchers.  We  slipped  along  the  hedges,  noiseless  and 
swift,  nor  did  we  see  or  hear  anything  to  increase  our  terrors,  till, 
to  our  huge  relief,  the  door  of  the  Admiral  Benbow  had  closed  be- 
hind us. 

I  slipped  the  bolt  at  once,  and  we  stood  and  panted  for  a  moment 
in  the  dark,  alone  in  the  house  with  the  dead  captain's  body.  Then 
my  mother  got  a  candle  in  the  bar,  and,  holding  each  other's  hands, 
we  advanced  into  the  parlor.  He  lay  as  we  had  left  him,  on  his 
back,  with  his  eyes  open,  and  one  arm  stretched  out. 

"Draw  down  the  blind,  Jim,"  whispered  my  mother;  "they 
might  come  and  watch  outside.  And  now,"  said  she,  when  I  had 
done  so,  "  we  have  to  get  the  key  off  that ;  and  who's  to  touch  it,  I 
should  like  to  know?"  and  she  gave  a  kind  of  sob  as  she  said  the 
words 

I  went  down  on  my  knees  at  once.  On  the  floor  close  to  his  hand 
there  was  a  little  round  of  paper,  blackened  on  the  one  side.  I 
could  not  doubt  that  this  was  the  black  spot ;  and,  taking  it  up,  I 
found  written  on  the  other  side,  in  a  very  good,  clear  hand,  this 
short  message,  "  You  havd  till  ten  to-night." 

"  He  had  till  ten,  mother,"  said  I;  and,  just  as  I  said  it,  our  old 
clock  began  striking.     This  sudden  noise  staitled  us  shockingly; 
but  the  news  was  good,  for  it  was  only  six. 
"  Now,  Jim,"  she  said,  "  that  key." 

I  felt  in  his  pockets,  one  after  another.  A  few  small  coins,  % 
thimble,  and  some  thread  and  big  needles,  a  piece  of  pigtail  tobacco 


22  TREASUlli:    ISLAND. 

bSUeu  away  at  the  end,  his  gully  wilh  the  crooked  LaQdle,  a  pocket 
compass  and  a  linder-box,  were  all  that  thty  coutaiued,  and  I  begau 
to  despair. 

"  Perhai)s  it's  round  his  neck,"  suggested  my  mother. 

Overcoming  a  strong  repugnance,  1  tore  open  liis  shirt  at  the 
neck,  and  there,  sure  enough,  hanging  to  a  bit  of  tarry  string, 
whii  li  I  cut  with  his  own  gully,  we  found  tlie  key.  At  this  Iri- 
umi)h  we  were  tilled  with  hope,  and  hurried  upstairs,  without  delay, 
to  the  little  room  where  he  had  slept  so  long,  and  where  his  box  had 
stood  since  the  day  of  his  arrival. 

It  was  like  any  other  seaman's  chest  on  the  outside,  the  initial 
**B."  burned  on  the  top  of  it  with  a  hot  iron,  and  the  corners 
somewhat  smashed  and  broken  as  by  long,  rough  usjige. 

"  Give  me  the  key,"  .said  my  mother;  and  though  the  lock  was 
very  stiff,  she  had  turned  il  and  thrown  back  the  lid  in  a  twiukiiug. 

A  strong  smell  of  tobacco  and  tar  rose  from  the  interior,  but  noth- 
ing was  to  be  seen  on  the  top  except  a  suit  of  very  good  clothes, 
carefully  brushed  and  folded.  They  had  never  been  worn,  my 
mother  said  Under  that,  the  miscellany  began— a  cpiadrant,  a  tin 
cauikin,  several  sticlis  of  tobacco,  two  brace  of  very  handsome  pis- 
tols, a  piece  of  bar  silver,  an  old  Spanish  watch  and  some  other 
trinkets  of  little  value  and  mostly  of  foreign  make,  a  pair  of  com- 
passes mounted  with  br-i-es,  and  five  or  fix  curious  West  Indian 
shells.  Il  has  often  set  ii\e  thinking  since  that  he  should  have  car- 
ried about  these  shells  with  him  in  his  wandering,  guilty,  hunted 
life. 

In  the  meantime,  we  hatl  found  nothing  of  any  value  but  the  sil- 
ver and  the  trinkets,  and  neither  of  these  were  in  our  way.  Under- 
neath there  wjxs  an  old  boat-cloak,  whitened  with  sea  salt  on  many 
a  harbor-bar.  'My  mother  pulled  it  up  with  impatience,  and  there 
lay  l)cfore  us,  the  last  things  in  the  chest,  a  bundle  tied  up  in  oil- 
cloth, an<l  looking  like  papers,  and  a  canvjis  bug,  that  gave  forth,  at 
a  touch,  the  jingle  of  gold. 

"I'll  show  those  rogues  that  I'm  an  honest  woman,"  said  my 
mother.  "  I'll  have  my  dues,  and  not  a  farthing  over.  Hold  Mrs. 
Cro.ssley's  bag."  And  she  began  to  count  over  the  amount  of  the 
captain's  score  from  the  sailor's  bag  into  the  one  tliat  I  Wiis  holding. 

It  Wiis  a  long,  dillieult  business,  for  the  coins  were  of  all  countries 
and  sizes— doubloons,  and  louis-d'ors,  ami  guineas,  and  pieces  of 
eight,  and  I  know  not  what  besides,  all  shaken  together  at  random 
The  guineas,  too,  were  about  the  scarcest,  and  it  waii  witL  theso 
ouiy  that  my  mother  knew  how  to  make  her  count. 


TREA8URK    ISLAND.  23 

When  we  were  about  Imlf-way  through,  I  suddenly  put  my  hand 
upon  Jicr  arm;  for  I  had  heard  in  the  silent,  frosty  air,  a  Bound  tliat 
hr()iif,^lil  my  licart  into  my  moiilli — the  tap-tapping  of  tlie  blind 
man'H  Htick  u[)on  the  frozen  road.  It  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  while 
we  8at  lioiding  our  l>r(;ath.  Then  it  Htriiek  sharji  on  the  inn  door, 
*nd  then  we  eonld  hear  tlie  handle  being  tiirnefl,  and  the  bolt  rat- 
tling as  the  wretehed  being  tried  to  enter;  and  then  theiewasa 
long  time  of  Hilcnee  botli  williin  and  witliout.  At  last  tlie  tapping 
rceommeneed,  and  to  our  indeseribable  joy  and  gratitude,  died 
slowly  away  again  until  it  ceased  to  be  heard. 

"  Mother,"  said  I,  "  take  the  whole  and  let's  be  going;"  for  I 
was  sure  the  bolted  door  must  have  seemed  susi>iciou3,  and  would 
bring  the  whole  hornet's  nest  nbrjut  our  ears;  though  how  thankful 
I  was  that  I  had  bol'ed  it,  none  could  tell  who  had  never  met  that 
terrible  blind  man. 

I'ut  my  motlier,  frightened  as  she  was,  would  not  consent  to  take 
a  fraction  more  than  was  due  to  her,  and  was  obstinately  unwilling 
to  be  content  with  less.  It  was  not  yet  seven,  she  said,  by  a  long 
way;  she  knew  her  rights  and  she  would  have  them;  and  she  was 
still  arguing  with  me,  when  a  little  low  wljistle  sounded  a  good 
way  oir  upf)n  the  hill.  That  was  enough,  and  more  than  enough, 
for  both  of  us. 

"  I'll  take  what  I  have,"  she  said,  jumi)ing  to  her  feet. 

"  And  I'll  take  this  to  square  the  count,"  said  I,  picking  up  the 
oilskin  packet. 

Next  moment  we  were  both  groping  down-stairs,  leaving  the 
candle  by  the  empty  chest;  and  the  next  we  had  opened  the  door 
and  were  in  full  retreat.  We  had  not  started  a  moment  too  soon. 
The  fog  was  rapidly  dispersing;  already  the  moon  shone  quite  clear 
on  the  high  ground  on  either  side;  and  it  was  only  in  the  exact  bot- 
tom of  the  dell  and  round  the  tavern  door  that  a  thin  veil  still  hung 
urd)roken  to  conceal  the  first  steps  of  our  escape.  Far  less  than 
half-way  to  the  haiidet,  very  little  beyond  the  bottom  of  the  hill, 
wc  nuist  conie  forth  into  the  moonlight.  Nor  was  this  all;  for  the 
sound  of  several  footsteps  running  came  already  to  our  ears,  and  as 
wc  looked  back  in  their  direction,  a  light  tossing  to  and  fro,  and  still 
rai)idly  advancing,  showed  that  one  of  the  new-comers  carried  a 
lantern. 

"  My  deai;  "  said  my  mother  suddenly,  "  take  the  money  and  run 
on.     I  am  going  to  faint." 

This  was  certainly  the  end  for  both  of  us,  I  thought.  IIow  I 
eunBod  the  covrardice  of  the  neighbors;  how  I  blamed  my  poor 


H  TREASURE    ISLAND* 

mother  for  her  honesty  and  her  greed,  for  her  past  foolhardiness 
tad  present  weakness!  We  were  just  at  the  little  bridge,  hy  good 
fortune;  and  I  helped  her,  tottering  as  she  was,  to  the  edge  of  the 
bank;  where,  sure  enough,  she  gave  a  sigh  and  fell  on  my  shoulder. 
I  do  not  know  how  I  found  the  strength  to  do  it  at  all,  and  I  am 
afraid  it  was  roughly  done;  but  I  managed  to  drag  her  down  the 
bank  and  a  little  way  under  the  arch.  Further  I  could  not  move 
her,  for  the  bridge  was  too  low  to  let  me  do  more  than  crawl  below 
it.  So  there  we  had  to  stay — my  mother  almost  entirely  exposed, 
and  both  of  us  within  ear -shot  of  the  inu. 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE  LAST  OF  THE  BLIND  MAN. 

My  curiosity,  ui  a  sense,  was  stronger  than  my  fear;  for  I  could 
not  remain  where  I  was,  but  crept  back  to  the  bank  again,  whence, 
sheltering  my  head  behind  a  bush  of  broom,  I  might  command  the 
road  before  our  door.  I  was  scarcely  in  position  ere  my  enemies 
began  to  arrive,  seven  or  eight  of  them,  running  hard,  their  feet 
beating  out  of  time  along  the  road,  and  the  man  with  the  lantern 
some  paces  in  front.  Three  men  ran  together,  hand  in  hand;  and 
I  made  out,  even  through  the  mist,  that  the  middle  man  of  this  trio 
was  the  blind  beggar.  The  next  moment  his  voice  showed  me  that 
I  was  right. 

"  Down  with  the  doorl"  he  cried. 

*•  Ay,  ay,  sirl"  answered  two  or  three;  and  a  rush  was  made 
upon  the  Admiral  Benbow,  the  lantern-bearer  following;  and  then  I 
could  see  them  pause,  and  hear  speeches  passed  in  a  lower  key,  as 
if  they  were  surprised  to  find  the  door  open.  But  the  pause  was 
brief,  for  the  blind  man  again  issued  his  commands.  His  voice 
sounded  louder  and  higher,  as  if  he  were  afire  with  eagerness  and 
rage. 

"  In,  in,  inl"  he  shouted,  and  cursed  them  for  their  delay. 

Four  or  five  of  them  obeyed  at  once,  two  remaining  on  the  road 
with  the  formidable  beggar.  There  was  a  pause,  then  a  cry  of  sur- 
prise, and  then  a  voice  shouting  from  the  house : 

"Bill's  dead." 

But  the  blind  man  swore  at  them  again  for  their  delay. 

"  Search  him,  some  of  you  shirking  lubbers,  and  the  rest  of  you 
aloft  and  get  the  chest,"  he  cried. 

I  could  hear  their  feet  rattling  up  our  old  stairs,  so  that  the  house 
must  have  shook  with  it.    Promptly  afterward,  fresh  sounds  oX 


TREASUEE    ISLAND.  JiO 

astonisliment  arose;  the  window  of  the  captain's  room  was  thrown 
open  with  a  slam  and  a  jingle  of  broken  glass;  and  a  man  leaned 
out  into  the  moonlight,  head  and  shoulders,  and  addressed  the  blind 
beggar  on  the  road  below  him. 

"  Pew,"  he  cried,  "  they've  been  before  us.  Some  one's  turned 
the  chest  out  alow  and  aloft." 

"  Is  it  there  V"  roared  Pew. 

"  The  money's  there." 

The  blind  man  cursed  the  money. 

*'  Flint's  fist,  I  mean,"  he  cried, 

"  We  don't  see  it  here  nohow,"  returned  the  man. 

*'  Here,  you  below  here,  is  it  on  Bill,"  cried  the  blind  man  again. 

At  that  another  fellow,  probably  him  who  had  remained  below  to 
search  the  captain's  body,  came  to  the  door  of  the  inn.  "  Bill's 
been  overhauled  a'ready,"  said  he,  "  nothin'  left." 

"It's  these  people  of  the  inn — it's  that  boy.  I  wish  I  had  put  his 
eyes  out!"  cried  the  blind  man.  Pew.  They  were  here  no  time  ago 
— they  had  the  door  bolted  when  I  tried  it.  Scatter,  lads,  and  find 
*em." 

"Sure  enough,  they  left  their  glim  here, "  said  the  fellow  from 
the  window. 

^   "Scatter  and  find  'emi    Rout  the  house  out!"  reiterated  Pew, 
striking  with  his  stick  upon  the  road. 

Then  there  followed  a  great  to-do  through  all  our  old  inn,  heavy 
feet  pounding  to  and  fro,  furniture  all  thrown  over,  doors  kicked 
in,  until  the  very  rocks  re-echoed,  and  the  men  came  out  again, 
one  after  another,  on  the  road,  and  declared  that  we  were  nowhere 
to  be  found.  And  just  then  the  same  whistle  that  had  alarmed  my 
mother  and  myself  over  the  dead  captain's  money  was  once  more 
clearly  audible  through  the  night,  but  this  time  twice  repeated.  I 
had  thought  it  (o  be  the  blind  man's  trumpet,  so  to  speak,  summon- 
ing his  crew  to  the  assault;  but  I  now  found  that  it  was  a  signal 
from  the  hill-side  toward  the  hamlet,  and  from  its  eflfect  upon  the 
buccaneers,  a  signal  to  warn  them  of  approaching  danger. 

"  There's  Dirk  again,"  said  one.  "  Twice!  "We'll  have  to 
budge,  mates." 

"  Budge,  you  skulk!"  cried  Pew.  "  Dirk  was  a  fool  and  a  cow- 
ard from  the  first — you  wouldn't  mind  him.  They  must  be  close 
by;  they  can't  be  far;  you  have  your  hands  on  it.  Scatter  and  look 
for  them,  dogs'.     Oh,  shiver  my  soul,"  he  cried,  "  if  I  had  eyes!" 

This  appeal  seemed  to  produce  some  effect,  for  two  of  the  fellows 
began  to  look  here  and  there  among  the  lumber,  but  half  heartedly, 


26  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

I  thought,  and  with  half  an  eye  to  their  own  danger  all  the  time, 
while  th?  rest  stood  irresolute  ou  the  road. 

"  You  have  your  hands  on  thousands,  you  fools,  and  you  haug  a 
legl  You'd  be  as  rich  as  kings  if  you  could  find  it,  and  you  know 
it's  here,  and  you  stand  there  malingering.  There  wasn't  one  of 
you  dared  face  Bill,  and  I  did  it — a  blind  man!  And  I'm  to  lose 
my  chance  for  youl  I'm  to  be  a  poor,  crawling  beggar,  spougiug 
for  rum,  when  I  miglit  be  rolling  in  a  coach!  If  you  had  the  pluck 
of  a  weevil  in  a  biscuit,  you  woulc]  catch  them  still." 

"  Hang  it.  Pew,  we've  got  the  doubloonsi"  grumbled  one. 

'*  They  might  have  hid  the  blessed  thing,"  said  another.  "  Take 
the  Georges,  Pew,  and  don't  stand  here  squalling." 

Squalling  was  the  word  for  it,  Pew's  anger  rose  so  high  at  these 
objections;  till  at  last,  his  passion  complete!}^  taking  the  upper  hand, 
he  struck  at  them  right  and  left  in  his  blindness,  and  his  stick 
sounded  heavily  on  more  than  one. 

These,  in  their  turn,  cursed  back  at  the  blind  miscreant,  threat- 
2ned  him  in  horrid  terms,  and  tried  in  vain  to  catch  the  stick  and 
wrest  it  from  his  grasp. 

This  quarrel  was  the  saving  of  us;  for  while  it  was  still  raging, 
another  sound  came  from  the  top  of  tbe  hill  on  the  side  of  the  ham- 
let—the  tramp  of  horses  galloping.  Almost  at  the  same  time  a  pis- 
tol-shot, flash  and  report,  came  from  the  hedge  side.  And  that 
was  plainly  the  last  signal  of  danger;  for  the  buccaneers  turned  at 
once  and  ran,  separating  in  every  direction,  one  seaward  along  the 
cove,  one  slant  across  the  hill,  and  so  on,  so  that  in  half  a  minute 
not  a  sign  of  them  remained  but  Pew.  Him  they  had  deserted, 
whether  in  sheer  panic  or  out  of  revenge  for  his  ill  words  and  blows, 
I  know  not;  but  there  he  remained  behind,  tapping  up  and  down 
the  road  in  a  frenzy,  and  groping  and  calling  for  Lis  comrades. 
Finally  he  took  the  wrong  turn,  and  ran  a  few  steps  p^ist  me,  to- 
ward tht  hamlet,  crying: 

"  Johnny,  Black  Dog,  Dirk,''  and  other  names,  "  you  won't  leave 
old  Pew,  mates — not  old  Pewl" 

Just  then  the  noise  of  horses  topped  the  rise,  and  four  or  five 
riders  came  in  sight  in  the  moonlight,  and  swept  at  full  gallop  down 
the  slope. 

At  this  Pew  saw  his  error,  turned  with  a  scream,  and  ran  straight 
for  the  ditch,  into  which  he  rolled.  But  he  was  on  his  feet  again 
in  a  second,  and  made  another  dash,  now  utterly  bewildered,  right 
under  the  nearest  of  the  coming  horses. 

The  rider  tried  to  save  him,  but  in  vain.    Down  went  Pew  with 


TEEASUEE    ISLA2?D.  27 

a  cry  that  rang  high  into  the  night;  and  the  four  hoofs  trampled 
and  spurned  him  and  passed  by.  He  fell  on  his  side,  then  gently 
collapsed  upon  his  face,  and  moved  no  more. 

I  leaped  to  my  feet  and  hailed  the  riders.  They  were  pulling  up, 
at  any  rate  horrified  at  the  accident;  and  I  soon  saw  what  they 
were.  One,  tailing  out  behind  the  rest,  was  a  lad  that  had  gone 
from  the  hamlet  to  Dr.  Livesey's;  the  rest  were  revenue  officers, 
whom  he  had  met  by  the  way,  and  with  whom  he  had  had  the  in- 
telligence to  return  at  once.  Some  news  of  the  lugger  in  Kitt's 
Hole  had  found  its  way  to  Supervisor  Dance,  and  sent  him  forth 
that  night  in  our  direction,  and  to  that  circumstance  my  mother  and 
I  owed  our  preservation  from  death. 

Pew  was  dead,  stone  dead.  As  for  my  mother,  when  we  had 
carried  her  up  to  the  hamlet,  a  little  cold  water  and  salts  very  soon 
brought  her  back  again,  and  she  was  none  the  worse  for  her  terror, 
though  she  still  continued  to  deplore  the  balance  of  the  money. 

In  the  meantime  the  supervisor  rode  on,  as  fast  as  he  could,  to 
Kitt's  Hole;  but  his  men  had  to  dismount  and  grope  down  the  din- 
gle, leading,  and  sometimes  supporting,  their  horses,  and  in  con- 
tinual fear  of  ambushes;  so  it  was  no  great  matter  for  surprise  that 
■when  we  got  down  to  the  Hole  the  lugger  was  already  under  way, 
though  still  close  in.  He  hailed  her.  A  voice  replied,  telling  him 
to  keep  out  of  the  moonlight,  or  he  would  get  some  lead  in  him,  and 
at  the  same  time  a  bullet  whistled  close  by  his  arm.  Soon  after, 
the  lugger  doubled  the  point  and  disappeared.  ]Mr.  Dance  stood 
there,  as  he  said,  "  like  a  fish  out  of  water,"  and  all  he  could  do 

was  to  dispatch  a  man  to  B to  warn  the  cutter.     "  And  that," 

said  he,  "  is  just  about  as  good  as  nothing.  They've  got  off  clean, 
and  there's  an  end.  Only,"  he  added,  "  I'm  glad  I  trod  on  Master 
Pew's  corns;"  for  by  this  time  he  had  beard  my  story. 

1  went  back  with  him  to  the  Admiral  Benbow,  and  you  can  not 
imagine  a  house  in  such  a  state  of  smash;  the  very  clock  had  been 
thrown  down  by  these  fellows  in  their  furious  hunt  after  my  mother 
and  myself;  and  though  nothing  had  actually  been  taken  away  ex- 
cept the  captain's  money-bag  and  a  little  silver  from  the  till,  I  could 
see  at  once  that  we  were  ruined.  Mr.  Dance  could  make  nothing 
of  the  scene. 

"  They  got  the  money,  you  say?  "Well,  then,  Hawkins,  what  in 
fortime  wore  they  after.    More  money,  I  suppose?" 

"Ko,  sir;  not  money,  I  think,"  replied  I.  "  In  fact,  sir,  I  be- 
Keve  I  have  the  tiling  in  my  breast-pocket;  and,  to  tell  you  the 
truth,  I  should  like  to  get  it  p^t  in  safety." 


28  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

"To  be  sure,  boy;  quite  right,"  said  he.  "  I'il  take  it,  if  you 
like." 

"  I  thought,  perhaps.  Dr.  Livesey — "  I  began. 

••  Perfectly  right,"  he  interrupted,  very  cheerily,  "  perfectly  right 
—a  gentleman  and  a  magistrate.  And,  now  I  come  to  think  of  it,  I 
might  as  well  ride  round  there  myself  and  report  to  him  or  squire. 
Master  Pew's  dead,  when  all's  done;  not  that  I  regret  it,  but  he's 
dead,  you  see,  and  people  will  make  it  out  against  an  officer  of  his 
majesty's  revenue,  if  make  it  out  they  can.  Now,  I'll  tell  you, 
Hawkins,  if  you  like,  I'll  take  you  along." 

I  thanked  him  heartily  for  the  offer,  and  we  walked  back  to  the 
hamlet  where  the  horses  were.  By  the  time  I  had  told  mother  of 
my  purpose  they  were  all  in  the  saddle. 

"  Dogger,"  said  Mr.  Dance,  "'you  have  a  good  horse;  take  up 
this  lad  behind  you." 

As  soon  as  I  was  mounted,  holding  on  to  Dogger's  belt,  the 
supervisor  gave  the  word,  and  the  party  struck  out  at  a  bouncing 
trot  on  the  road  to  Dr.  Livesey's  house. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  captain's  PAPERS, 

We  rode  hard  all  the  way,  till  we  drew  up  before  Dr.  Livesey's 
door.     The  house  was  all  dark  in  front. 

Mr.  Dance  told  me  to  jump  down  and  knock,  and  Dogger  gave 
me  a  stirrup  to  descend  by.  The  door  was  opened  almost  at  once 
by  the  maid. 

**  Is  Dr.  Livesey  in?"  I  asked. 

No,  she  said;  he  had  come  home  in  the  afternoon,  but  had  gone 
up  to  the  Hall  to  dine  and  pass  the  evening  with  the  squire. 

'*  So  there  we  go,  boys,"  said  Mr.  Dance. 

This  time,  as  the  distance  was  short,  I  did  not  mount,  but  ran 
with  Dogger's  stirrup-leather  to  the  lodge  gates,  and  up  the  long, 
leafless,  moonlit  avenue  to  where  the  white  line  of  the  Hall  build- 
ings looked  on  either  hand  on  great  old  gardens.  Here  Mr.  Dance 
dismounted,  and,  taking  me  along  with  him,  was  admitted  at  a  word 
into  the  house. 

The  servant  led  us  down  a  matted  passage,  and  showed  us  at  the 
end  into  a  great  library,  all  lined  with  book-cases  and  busts  upon 
the  top  of  them,  where  the  squire  and  Dr,  Livesey  sat,  pipe  in  hand, 
on  either  side  of  the  bright  fire. 

I  had  never  seen  the  squire  so  near  at  Iiand.     He  was  a  tall  man, 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  29 

over  six  feet  high,  and  broad  ia  proportion,  and  he  had  a  bluff, 
rough-and-ready  face,  all  roughened  and  reddened  and  lined  in  his 
long  travels.  His  eyebrows  were  very  black,  and  moved  readily, 
and  this  gave  him  a  look  of  some  temper,  not  bad,  you  would  say, 
but  quick  and  high. 

"  Come  in,  Mr.  Dance,"  says  he,  very  stately  and  condescending, 
"  Good-evening,  Dance,"  says  the  doctor,   with  a  nod.     "  And 
good  evening  to  you,  friend  Jim.     What  good  wind  brings  you 
here?" 

The  supervisor  stood  up  straight  and  stiff,  and  told  his  story  like 
a  lesson;  and  you  should  have  seen  how  the  two  gentlemen  leaned 
forward  and  looked  at  eacli  other,  and  forgot  to  smoke  in  their  sur- 
prise and  iuterest.  When  they  heard  how  my  mother  went  back  to 
the  inn,  Dr.  Livesey  fairly  slapped  his  thigh,  and  the  squire  cried 
"  Bravo!"  and  broke  his  long  pipe  against  the  grate.  Long  before 
it  was  done,  Mr.  Trelawney  (that,  you  will  remember,  was  the 
squire's  name)  had  got  up  from  his  seat,  and  was  striding  about  the 
room,  and  the  doctor,  as  if  to  liear  the  better,  had  taken  off  his  pow- 
dered wig,  and  sat  there,  looking  very  strange  indeed  with  his  own 
close-cropped,  black  poll. 

At  last  i\Ir.  Dance  finished  the  story. 

"Mr.  Dance,"  said  the  squire,  "you  are  a  very  noble  fellow. 
And  as  for  riding  down  that  black,  atrocious  miscreant,  I  regard  it 
as  an  act  of  virtue,  sir,  like  stamping  on  a  cockroach.  This  lad 
Hawkins  is  a  trump,  I  perceive.  Hawkins,  will  you  ring  that  bell? 
Mr.  Dance  must  have  some  ale." 

"  And  so,  Jim,"  said  the  doctor,  "  you  have  the  thing  that  they 
were  after,  have  you?" 

"  Here  it  is,  sir,"  said  I,  and  gave  him  the  oilskin  packet. 

The  doctor  looked  it  all  over,  as  if  his  fingers  were  itching  to  open 
it;  but,  instead  of  doing  that,  he  put  it  quietly  in  the  pocket  of  his 
coat. 

"  Squire,"  said  he,  "■  when  Dance  has  had  his  ale  he  must,  of 
course,  be  off  on  his  majesty's  service;  but  I  mean  to  keep  Jim 
Hawkins  here  to  sleep  at  my  bouse,  and,  with  your  permission,  I 
propose  we  should  have  up  the  cold  pie,  and  let  him  sup." 

'"  As  you  will,  Livesey,"  said  the  squire;  "  Hawkins  has  earned 
better  fnan  cold  pie." 

So  a  big  pigeon  pie  was  brought  in  and  put  on  a  side-table,  and  I 
made  a  hearty  supper,  for  I  was  as  hungry  as  a  hawk,  while  Mr 
Dance  was  further  complimented,  and  at  last  dismissed. 

*'  And  now,  squire,"  said  the  doctor. 


30  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

"  And  now  Livesey,"  said  the  squire,  in  the  same  breath. 

**  One  at  a  time,  one  at  a  time,"  laughed  Dr.  Livesey.  "  You 
have  heard  of  this  Flint,  I  suppose?" 

"  Heard  of  himl"  cried  the  squire.  "  Heard  of  him,  you  sayl 
He  was  the  blood- thirstiest  buccaneer  that  sailed.  Blackbeard  was  a 
child  to  Flint.  The  Spaniards  were  so  prodigiously  afraid  of  him, 
that,  I  tell  you,  sir,  I  was  sometimes  proud  he  was  an  Englishman. 
I've  seen  his  topsails  with  these  eyes,  off  Trinidad,  and  the  cowardly 
sou  of  a  rum-puncheon  that  I  sailed  with  put  back— put  back,  sir, 
into  Port  of  Spain." 

"  Well,  I've  heard  of  him  myself,  in  England,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  But  the  point  is,  had  he  money?" 

*'  Money!"  cried  the  squire.  "  Have  you  heard  the  story?  What 
were  these  villains  after  but  money?  What  do  they  care  for  but 
money?  For  what  would  they  risk  their  rascal  carcasses  but 
money?" 

"  That  we  shall  soon  know,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  But  you  are 
so  confoundedly  hotheaded  and  exclamatory  that  I  can  not  get  a 
word  in.  What  I  want  to  know  is  this;  Supposing  that  I  have  here 
in  my  pocket  some  clew  to  where  Flint  buried  his  treasure,  will 
that  treasure  amount  to  much?" 

"  Amount,  sir!"  cried  the  squire.  "  It  will  amount  to  this;  if  we 
have  the  clew  you  talk  about,  I  fit  out  a  ship  in  Bristol  dock,  and  take 
you  and  Hawkins  here  along,  and  I'll  have  that  treasure  if  I  search 
a  year." 

*'  Very  well,"  said  the  doctor,  "  Now,  then,  if  Jim  is  agreeable, 
we'll  open  the  packet;"  and  he  laid  it  before  him  on  the  table. 

The  bundle  was  sewn  together,  and  the  doctor  had  to  get  out  his 
instrument-case,  and  cut  the  stitches  with  his  medical  scissors.  It 
contained  two  things — a  book  and  a  sealed  paper. 

"  First  of  all  we'll  try  the  book,"  observed  the  doctor. 

The  squire  and  I  were  both  peering  over  his  shoulder  as  he 
opened  it,  for  Dr.  Livesey  had  kindly  motioned  me  to  come  round 
from  the  side-table,  where  I  had  been  eating,  to  enjoy  the  sport  of 
the  search.  On  the  first  page  there  were  only  some  scraps  of  writ- 
ing, such  as  a  man  with  a  pen  in  his  hand  might  make  for  idleness 
or  practice.  One  was  the  same  as  tha  tattoo  mark,  "  Billy  Bones 
his  fancy;"  then  there  was  '"  Mr.  W,  Bones,  mate."  "  No  more 
rum."  "Off  Palm  Key  he  got  itt;"  and  some  other  snatches, 
mostly  single  words  and  unintelligible.  I  couJd  not  help  wonder- 
ing who  it  was  that  had  "  got  itt,"  and  what  "  itt  "  was  that  he  got 
A  knife  in  his  back  as  like  as  not. 


TREASUKE    ISLAND.  31 

"Not  much  instruction  there,"  said  Dr.  Livesey,  as  he  passed 
on. 

The  next  ten  or  twelve  pages  were  filled  with  a  curious  series  of 
entries.  There  was  a  date  at  one  end  of  the  line  and  at  the  other  a 
sam  of  monej;  as  in  common  account-books;  but  instead  of  ex- 
planatory writing,  only  a  varying  number  of  crosses  between  the 
two.  On  the  12th  of  June,  1745,  for  instance,  a  sum  of  seventy 
pounds  had  plainly  become  due  to  some  one,  and  there  was  nothing 
but  six  crosses  to  explain  the  cause.  In  a  few  cases,  to  be  sure,  the 
name  of  a  place  would  be  added,  as  "  OfEe  Caraccas;"  or  a  mere 
entry  of  latitude  and  longitude,  as  "  63  deg.  17  min.  20  sec,  19  deg. 
2  min.  40  sec." 

The  record  lasted  over  nearly  twenty  years,  the  amount  of  the 
separate  entries  growing  larger  as  time  went  on,  and  at  the  end  u 
grand  total  had  been  made  out  after  five  or  six  wrong  additions, 
and  these  words  appended,  "  Bones  his  pile." 

"  I  can't  make  head  or  tail  of  this,"  said  Dr.  Livesey. 

•'  The  thing  is  as  clear  as  noonday,"  cried  the  squire.  "  This  is 
the  black-hearted  hound's  account- book.  These  crosses  stand  for 
the  names  of  ships  or  towns  that  they  sunk  or  plundered.  The 
sums  are  the  scoundrel's  share,  and  where  he  feared  an  ambiguity, 
you  see  he  added  something  clearer.  '  Offe  Caraccas,'  now;  you 
see,  here  was  some  unhappy  vessel  boarded  off  that  coast.  God  help 
the  poor  souls  that  manned  her — coral  long  ago." 

"  Right!"  said  the  doctor.  "  See  what  it  is  to  be  a  traveler. 
Right!    And  the  amounts  increase,  you  see,  as  he  rose  in  rank." 

There  was  little  else  in  the  volume  but  a  few  bearings  of  places 
noted  in  the  blank  leaves  toward  the  end,  and  a  table  for  reducing 
French,  English,  and  Spanish  nioneys  to  a  common  value. 

"  Thrifty  manl"  cried  the  doctor.  "  He  wasn't  the  one  to  be 
cheated." 

*'  And  now,"  said  the  squire,  "  for  the  other." 

The  paper  had  been  sealed  in  several  places  with  a  thimble  by 
way  of  seal;  the  very  thimble,  perhaps,  that  I  had  found  in  the 
captain's  pocket.  The  doctor  opened  the  seals  with  great  care,  and 
there  fell  out  the  map  of  an  island,  with  latitude  and  longitude, 
soundings,  names  of  hills  and  bays  and  inlets,  and  every  particular 
that  would  be  needed  to  bring  a  ship  to  a  safe  anchorage  upon  its 
shores.  It  was  about  nine  miles  long,  and  five  across,  shaped,  you 
might  say,  like  a  fat  dragon  standing  up,  and  had  two  tine  land- 
locked harbors,  and  a  hill  in  the  center  part  marked  "  The  Spy- 
glass." There  were  several  additions  of  a  later  date;  but,  above  all. 


33  TREASURE    ISLAKD. 

three  crosses  of  red  ink — two  on  the  north  part  of  the  island,  one 
in  the  southwest,  and,  beside  this  last,  in  the  same  red  ink,  and  in 
a  small,  neat  hand,  very  different  from  the  captain's  tottery  char- 
acters, these  words:  "  Bulk  of  treasure  here." 

Over  on  the  back  the  same  hand  had  written  this  further  informa- 
tion: 

"  Tall  tree.  Spy -glass  shoulder,  bearing  a  point  to  the  N.  of 
N.  N.  E. 

"  Skeleton  Island  E.  S.  E.  and  by  E. 

"  Ten  feet. 

"  The  bar  silver  is  in  the  north  cache;  you  can  find  it  by  the 
trend  of  the  east  hummock,  ten  fathoms  south  of  the  black  crag 
with  the  face  on  it. 

"  The  arms  are  easy  found,  in  the  sand-hill,  N.  point  of  north 
inlet  cape,  bearing  E.  and  a  quarter  N. 

"J.  F." 

That  was  all;  but  brief  as  it  was,  and,  to  me,  incomprehensible, 
it  filled  the  squire  and  Dr.  Livesey  with  delight. 

"Livesey,"  said  the  squire,  "you  will  give  up  this  wretched 
practice  at  once.  To-morrow  I  start  for  Bristol.  In  three  weeks' 
time — three  weeks' — two  weeks — ten  days — we'll  have  the  best  ship, 
sir,  and  the  choicest  crew  in  England.  Hawkins  shall  come  as 
cabin-boy.  You'll  make  a  famous  cabin-boy,  Hawkins.  You, 
Livesey,  are  ship's  doctor;  I  am  admiral.  We'll  take  Redruth, 
Joyce,  and  Hunter.  We'll  have  favorable  winds,  and  a  quick 
passage,  and  not  the  least  difficulty  in  finding  the  spot,  and  money 
lo  eat — to  roll  in — to  play  duck  and  drake  with  ever  after." 

"  Trclawney,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I'll  go  with  you;  and  I'll  go  bail 
for  it,  so  vvill  Jim,  and  be  a  credit  to  the  undertaking.  There's  only 
one  man  I'm  afraid  of." 

"  And  who  is  that?"  cried  the  squire.     "  Name  the  dog,  sirl" 

"  You,"  replied  the  doctor:  "  for  you  can  not  hold  your  tongue?. 
We  are  not  the  only  men  who  know  of  this  paper.  These  fellows 
who  attacked  the  inn  tonight — bold,  desperate  blades,  for  sure — 
and  the  rest  who  stayed  abourd  that  lugger,  and  more,  I  dare  say, 
not  far  off,  are,  one  and  all,  tlirough  thick  and  thin,  bound  that 
they'll  get  that  money.  We  must  none  of  us  go  alone  till  we  get  to 
sea.  Jim  and  I  shall  stick  together  iu  the  meanwhile:  you'll  take 
Joyce  and  Hunter  when  you  ride  to  Bristol,  and,  from  first  to  last, 
not  one  of  us  must  breathe  a  word  of  what  we've  found," 

"  Livesey,"  returned  the  squire,  "  you  are  always  in  the  right  of 
it.    I'll  be  as  silent  as  the  grave." 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  83 


PART  11. 

THE  SEA   COOK. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

I    GO    TO    BRISTOL. 

It  was  longer  than  the  squire  imagined  ere  we  were  ready  for  the 
>ea,  and  none  of  our  first  plans — not  even  Dr.  Livesey's,  of  keeping 
me  beside  him — could  be  carried  out  as  we  intended.  The  doctor 
had  to  go  to  London  for  a  physician  to  take  charge  of  his  practice; 
the  squire  was  hard  at  svork  at  Bristol;  and  I  lived  on  at  the  Hall 
under  the  charge  of  old  Redruth,  the  gamekeeper,  almost  a  prisoner 
but  full  of  sea  dreams  and  the  most  charming  anticipations  of 
strange  islands  and  adventures.  I  brooded  by  the  hour  together 
over  the  map,  all  the  details  of  which  I  well  remembered.  Sitting 
by  the  fire  in  the  housekeeper's  room,  I  approached  that  island  in 
my  fancy,  from  every  possible  direction;  I  explored  every  acre  of 
its  surface;  I  climbed  a  thousand  times  to  that  tall  hill  they  call  the 
Spy-glass,  and  from  the  top  enjoyed  the  most  wonderful  and  chang- 
ing prospects.  Sometimes  the  isle  was  thick  with  savages,  with 
whom  we  fought;  sometimes  full  of  dangerous  animals  that  hunted 
us;  but  in  all  my  fancies  nothing  occurred  to  me  so  strange  and 
tragic  as  our  actual  adventures. 

So  the  weeks  passed  on,  till  one  fine  day  there  came  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  Di.  Livesey,  with  this  addition,  "To  be  opened  in  the 
case  of  his  absence,  by  Tom  Redruth,  or  young  Hawkins." 
Obeying  this  order,  we  found,  or  rather,  I  found — for  the  game- 
keeper was  a  poor  hand  at  reading  anything  but  print — the  follow- 
ing important  news: 

'•  Old  Anclior  Inn,  Bristol,  March  1, 17—. 

"Dear  Livesey, — As  I  do  not  know  whether  you  are  at  the 
Hall  or  still  in  London,  I  send  this  in  double  to  both  places. 

"  The  ship  is  bought  and  fitted.  She  lies  at  anchor,  ready  fov 
sea.  You  never  imagined  a  sweeter  schooner — a  child  might  sail 
her — two  hundred  tons;  name,  '  Hispaniola.' 

"  I  got  her  through  my  old  friend.  Blandly,  who  has  proved 
himself  throughout  the  most  surprising  trump.      The  admirable 


34  TEEASURE    ISLAND. 

fellow  literally  slaved  in  my  intei-est,  and  so,  I  may  say,  did  every 
one  in  Bristol,  as  soon  as  they  got  wind  of  the  port  we  sailed  for — 
treasure,  I  mean." 

"  Redruth,"  said  I,  interrupting  the  letter,  "  Dr.  Livesey  will  not 
like  that.     The  squire  has  been  talking,  after  all." 

'Well,  who's  got  a  better  right?"  growled  the  gamekeeper. 
"  A  pretty  rum  go  if  squire  ain't  to  talk  for  Dr.  Livesey,  I  should 
think." 

At  that  I  gave  up  all  attempt  at  commentary,  and  read  straight 
on: 

"  Blandly  himself  found  the  '  Hispaniola,'  and  by  the  most  ad- 
mirable management  got  her  for  the  merest  trifle.  There  is  a  class 
of  men  in  Bristol  monstrously  prejudiced  against  Blaudlj'.  They 
go  the  length  of  declaring  that  this  honest  creature  would  do  any- 
thing for  money,  that  the  '  Hispaniola  '  belonged  to  him  and  that  he 
sold  it  me  absurdly  high — the  most  transparent  calumnies.  None 
of  them  dare,  however,  to  deny  the  merits  of  the  ship. 

"  So  far  there  was  not  a  hitch.  The  workpeople  to  be  sure — rig- 
gers and  what  not — were  most  annoyingly  slow;  but  time  cured 
that.     It  was  the  crew  that  troubled  me. 

"  I  wished  a  round  score  of  men — in  case  of  natives,  buccaneers, 
or  the  odious  French — and  I  had  the  worry  of  the  deuce  itself  to 
find  so  much  as  half  a  dozen,  till  the  most  remarkable  stroke  of 
fortune  brought  me  the  very  man  that  I  required. 

"  I  was  standing  on  the  dock,  when,  by  the  merest  accident,  I  fell 
in  talk  with  him.  I  found  he  was  an  old  sailor,  kept  a  public- 
house,  knew  all  the  seafaring  men  in  Bristol,  had  lost  his  health 
ashore,  and  wanted  a  good  berth  as  cook  to  get  to  sea  again.  He 
had  hobbled  down  there  that  morning,  he  said,  to  get  a  smell  of  the 
salt. 

'*  I  was  monstrously  touched — so  would  you  have  been — and,  out 
of  pure  pity,  I  engaged  him  on  the  spot  to  be  ship's  cook.  Long- 
John  Silver,  he  is  called,  and  has  lost  a  leg;  but  that  I  regarded  as 
a  recommendation,  since  he  lost  it  in  his  country's  service,  under 
the  immortal  Hawke.  He  has  no  pension,  Livesey.  Imagine  the 
abominable  age  we  live  inl 

"  "Well,  sir,  I  thought  I  had  only  found  a  cook,  but  it  was  a  crew 
I  had  discovered.  Between  Silver  and  myself  we  got  together  in  a 
few  days  a  company  of  the  toughest  old  salts  imaginable — not  pretty 
to  look  at,  but  fellows,  by  their  faces,  of  the  most  indomitable  spirit. 
I  declare  we  could  fight  a  frigate. 

"Long  John  even  got  rid  of  two  out  of  the  six  or  seven  I  had 
already  engaged.  He  showed  me  in  a  moment  that  they  were  just 
the  sort  of  fresh- water  swabs  we  had  to  fear  in  an  adventure  of  im- 
portance. 

"I  am  in  the  most  magnificent  health  and  spirits,  eating  like  a 
bull,  sleeping  like  a  tree,  yet  I  shall  not  enjoy  a  moment  till  I  hear 
my  old  tarpaulins  tramping  round  the  capstan.  Seaward  ho!  Hang 
the  treasure!  It's  the  glory  of  the  sea  that  has  turned  my  head.  So 
now,  Livesey,  come  post;  do  not  lose  an  hour,  if  you  respect  me. 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  35 

"  Let  young  Hawkins  go  at  once  to  see  his  mother,  with  Redruth 
for  a  guard;  and  then  both  come  full  speed  to  Bristol. 

"John  Trelawney. 

"  P.S.— r  did  not  tell  you  that  Blandly,  who,  by  the  way,  is  to 
send  a  consort  after  us  if  we  don't  turn  up  by  the  end  of  August, 
had  found  an  admirable  fellow  for  sailing-master— a  stiff  man, 
which  I  regret,  but,  in  all  other  respects,  a  treasure.  Long  John 
Silver  unearthed  a  very  competent  man  for  a  mate,  a  man  named 
Arrow.  1  have  a  boatswain  who  pipes,  Livesey;  so  things  shall  go 
man-o'-war  fashion  on  board  the  good  ship  '  Hispaniola. ' 

"  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  Silver  is  a  man  of  substance;  I  know  of 
my  own  knowledge  that  he  has  a  bnnker's  account,  which  has  never 
been  overdrawn.  He  leaves  his  wife  to  manage  the  inn;  and  as  she 
is  a  woman  of  color,  a  pair  of  old  bachelors  like  you  and  I  may  be 
excused  for  guessing  that  it  is  the  wife,  quite  as  much  as  the  health, 
that  sends  him  back  to  roving. 

"  J.  T. 

"  P.P.S. — Hawkins  may  stay  one  night  with  his  mother. 

You  can  fancy  the  excitement  into  which  that  letter  put  me.  I 
was  half  beside  myself  with  glee;  and  if  ever  I  despised  a  man,  it 
was  old  Tom  Redruth,  who  could  do  nothing  but  grumble  and 
lament.  Any  of  the  under-gamekeepers  would  gladly  have  changed 
places  with  him;  but  such  was  not  the  squire's  pleasure,  and  the 
squire's  pleasure  was  like  law  among  them  all.  Nobody  but  old 
Redruth  would  have  dared  so  much  as  even  to  grumble. 

The  next  morning  he  and  1  set  out  on  foot  for  the  Admiral  Ben- 
bow,  and  there  I  found  my  mother  in  good  health  and  spirits.  The 
captain,  who  had  so  long  been  a  cause  of  so  much  discomfort,  was 
gone  where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling.  The  squire  had  had 
everything  repaired,  and  the  public  rooms  and  the  sign  repainted, 
and  had  added  some  furniture — above  all  a  beautiful  arm-chair  for 
mother  in  the  bar.  He  had  found  her  a  boy  as  an  apprentice  also, 
so  that  she  should  not  want  help  while  I  was  gone. 

It  was  on  seeing  that  boy  that  I  understood,  for  the  first  time,  mj 
situation.  I  had  thought  up  to  that  moment  of  the  adventures  be- 
fore me,  not  at  all  of  the  home  that  I  was  leaving;  and  now  at  sight 
of  this  clumsy  stranger,  who  was  to  stay  here  in  my  place  beside 
my  mother,  I  had  my  first  attack  of  tears.  I  am  afraid  I  led  that 
boy  a  dog's  life;  for  as  he  was  new  to  the  work,  I  had  a  hundred 
opportunities  of  setting  him  right  and  putting  him  down,  and  1  was 
not  slow  to  profit  by  them. 

The  night  passed,  and  the  next  day,  after  dinner,  Redruth  and  I 
were  afoot  again  and  on  the  road.     I  said  good-bye  to  mother  and 


36  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

the  cove  where  I  had  lived  since  I  was  born,  and  the  dear  old  Ad- 
miral Benbow— since  he  was  repainted,  no  longer  quite  so  dear. 
One  of  my  last  thoughts  was  of  the  captain,  who  had  so  often  strode 
along  the  beach  with  his  cocked  hat,  his  saber-cut  cheek,  and  his 
old  brass  telescope.  Next  moment  we  had  turned  the  corner,  and 
my  home  was  out  of  sight. 

The  mail  picked  us  up  about  dusk  at  the  Royal  George  on  the 
heath.  I  was  wedged  in  betwcpn  Redruth  and  a  stout  old  gentle- 
man, and  in  spite  of  the  swift  motion  and  the  cold  night  air,  1 
must  have  dozed  a  great  deal  from  the  very  first,  and  then  slept  like 
a  log  uphill  and  down  dale  through  stage  after  stage;  for  when  I 
was  awakened,  at  last,  it  was  by  a  punch  in  the  ribs,  and  I  opened 
my  eyes,  to  find  that  we  were  standing  still  before  a  large  building 
in  a  city  street,  and  that  the  day  had  already  broken  a  long  time. 

"  "Where  are  we?"  I  asked. 

"  Bristol,"  said  Tom.     "  Get  down." 

Mr.  Trelawney  had  taken  up  his  residence  at  an  inn  far  down  the 
docks,  to  superintend  the  work  upon  the  schooner.  Thither  we 
had  now  to  walk,  and  our  way,  to  my  great  delight,  lay  along  the 
quays  and  beside  the  great  multitude  of  ships  of  all  sizes  and  rigs 
and  nations.  In  one,  sailors  were  singing  at  their  work;  in  an- 
other, there  were  men  aloft,  high  over  my  head,  hanging  to  threads 
that  seemed  no  thicker  than  a  spider's.  Though  I  had  lived  bj^  the 
shore  all  mj^  life,  I  seemed  never  to  have  been  near  the  sea  till  then. 
The  smell  of  tar  and  salt  was  something  new.  I  saw  the  most 
wonderful  figure-heads,  that  had  all  been  far  over  the  ocean.  I 
saw,  besides,  many  old  sailors,  with  rings  in  their  ears,  and  whiskers 
curled  in  ringlets,  and  tarry  pig-tails,  and  their  swaggering,  clumsy 
sea-walk;  and  if  I  had  seen  as  many  kings  or  archbishops  I  could 
not  have  been  more  delighted. 

And  I  was  going  to  sea  myself;  to  sea  in  a  schooner,  with  a  pip- 
ing boatswain,  and  pig  tailed  singing  seamen;  to  sea,  bound  for  an 
unknown  island,  and  to  seek  for  buried  treasure. 

While  I  was  still  in  this  delightful  dream,  we  came  suddenly  in 
front  of  a  large  inn,  and  met  Squire  Trelawney,  all  dressed  out  like 
a  sea  officer,  in  stout  blue  cloth,  coming  out  of  the  door  with  a 
smile  on  his  face,  and  a  capital  imitation  of  a  sailor's  walk. 

"  Here  you  are,"  he  cried,  "  and  the  doctor  came  last  night  from 
London.    Bravo— the  ship's  company  completel" 

"  Oh,  sir,"  cried  I,  "  when  do  we  sail?" 

"  Sail! "  says  he.     "  We  sail  to-morrow. " 


TKEASURE    ISLANT).  37 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

AT   THE   SIGN  OP  THE   SPY-GLASS. 

When  I  had  done  breakfasting,  the  squire  gave  me  a  note  ad- 
dressed to  John  Silver,  at  the  sign  of  the  Spy-glass,  and  told  me  1 
should  easily  find  the  place  by  following  the  line  of  the  docks,  and 
keeping  a  bright  look  out  for  a  little  tavern  with  a  large  brass  tele- 
scope for  a  sign.  1  set  off,  overjoyed  at  this  opportunity  to  see 
some  more  of  the  ships  and  seamen,  and  picked  my  way  among  a 
great  crowd  of  people  and  carts  and  bales,  for  the  dock  was  now  at 
its  busiest,  until  I  found  the  tavern  in  question. 

It  was  a  bright  enough  little  place  of  entertainment.  The  sign 
was  newly  painted;  the  windows  had  neat  red  curtains;  the  floor 
was  cleanly  sanded.  There  was  a  street  on  either  side,  and  an  open 
door  on  both,  which  made  the  large,  low  room  pretty  clear  to  see 
in,  in  spite  of  clouds  of  tobacco  smoke. 

The  customers  were  mostly  seafaring  men;  and  they  talked  so 
loudly  that  I  hung  at  the  door,  almost  afraid  to  enter. 

As  I  was  waiting,  a  man  came  out  of  a  side  room,  and  at  a  glance, 
I  was  sure  he  must  be  Long  John.  His  left  leg  was  cut  off  close  by 
the  hip,  and  under  the  left  shoulder  he  carried  a  crutch,  w^hich  he 
managed  with  wonderful  dexteritj%  hopping  about  upon  it  like  a 
bird.  He  was  very  tall  and  strong,  with  a  face  as  big  as  a  ham — 
plain  and  pale,  but  intelligent  and  smiling.  Indeed,  he  seemed  in 
the  most  cheerful  spirits,  whistling  as  he  moved  about  among  the 
tables,  with  a  merry  word  or  a  slap  on  the  shoulder  for  the  more 
favored  of  his  guests. 

Now,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  from  the  very  first  mention  of  Long  John 
in  Squire  Trelawney's  letter,  I  had  taken  a  fear  in  my  mind  that  he 
might  prove  to  be  the  very  one-legged  sailor  whom  I  had  watched 
for  so  long  at  the  old  Benbow.  But  one  look  at  the  man  before  me 
was  enough.  I  had  seen  the  captain,  and  Black  Dog  and  the  blind 
man  Pew,  and  I  thought  I  knew  what  a  buccaneer  was  like — a  very 
different  creature,  according  to  me,  from  this  clean  and  pleasant- 
tempered  landlord. 

I  plucked  up  courage  at  once,  crossed  the  threshold,  and  walked 
right  up  to  the  man  where  he  stood,  ^jropped  on  his  crutch,  talking 
to  a  customer. 

"  Mr.  Silver,  sir?"  I  asked,  holding  out  the  note. 


3S  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

"  Yes,  my  lad,"  said  he;  "  such  is  my  name,  to  be  sure.  And 
who  may  you  be?"  And  when  he  saw  the  squire's  letter,  he  seemed 
to  me  to  give  something  almost  lilie  a  start. 

"  Oh:"  said  he,  quite  aloud,  and  offering  his  hand,  "  I  see.  You 
are  our  new  cabin-boy;  pleased  I  am  to  see  j'^ou." 

And  he  took  my  hand  iu  his  large  firm  grasp. 

Just  then  one  of  the  customers  at  the  far  side  rose  suddenly  and 
made  for  the  door.  It  was  clot,e  by  him,  and  he  was  out  iu  ihe 
street  in  a  moment.  But  his  hurry  had  attracted  my  notice,  and  I 
recognized  him  at  a  glance.  It  was  the  tallow-faced  man,  wanting 
two  fingers,  who  had  come  first  to  the  Admiral  Benbow. 

"  Oh,"  I  cried,  "  stop  him!  it's  Black  Dog!" 

"I  don't  care  two  coppers  who  he  is, "  cried  Silver.  "  But  he 
hasn't  paid  his  score.     Harry,  run  and  catch  him." 

One  of  the  others  who  was  nearest  the  door  leaped  up  and  started 
in  pursuit. 

"  If  he  were  Admiral  Ha wke  he  shall  pay  his  score,"  cried  Silver; 
and  then,  relinquishing  my  hand,  "  who  did  you  say  he  was?"  he 
asked.     "  Black  what?" 

"  Dog,  sir,"  said  I.  "  Has  Mr.  Trelawney  not  told  you  of  the 
buccaneers?    He  was  one  of  them." 

"  So?"  cried  Silver.  "  In  my  house!  Ben,  run  and  help  Harry. 
One  of  those  swabs,  was  he?  Was  that  you  drinking  with  him, 
Morgan?    Step  up  here." 

The  man  whom  he  called  Morgan — an  old,  gray  liaired,  mahogany- 
faced  sailoi — came  forward  pretty  sheepishly,  rolling  his  quid. 

"Now,  Morgan,"  said  Long  John,  very  sternly;  "you  never 
clapped  your  eyes  on  that  Black —Black  Dog  before,  did  you,  now?" 

"  Not  I,  sir,"  said  Morgan,  with  a  salute. 

"  You  didn't  know  his  name,  did  you?" 

"  No,  sir." 

"  By  the  powers,  Tom  Morgan,  it's  as  good  for  you'"  exclaimed 
the  landlord.  "  If  you  had  been  mixed  up  with  the  like  of  tliat, 
you  would  never  have  put  another  foot  in  my  house,  you  may  lay 
to  that.     And  what  was  he  saying  to  you?" 

"  I  don't  rightly  know,  sir,"  answered  Morgan. 

"  Do  you  call  that  a  head  on  your  shoulders,  or  a  blessed  dead- 
eye?"  cried  Long  John.  "Don't  rightly  know,  don't  you?  Per- 
haps you  don't  happen  to  rightly  know  who  you  was  speaking  to, 
perhaps?  Come  now,  what  was  he  jawing — v'yages,  cap'ns,  ships? 
Pipe  up?    What  was  it?" 

"  We  was  a-talkin'  of  keel-hauliug, "  answered  Morgan. 


TREASURE    ISLAKD.  39 

"  Keel  hauling,  was  you?  and  a  mighty  suitable  thing,  too,  and 
you  may  lay  to  that.     Get  bade  to  your  place  for  a  lubber,  Tom." 

And  then,  as  Morgan  rolled  back  to  his  seat,  Silver  added  to  me 
in  a  confidential  whisper,  that  was  very  flattering,  as  I  thought:" 

"  He's  quite  an  honest  man,  Tom  Morgan,  on'y  stupid.  And 
now,"  he  ran  on  again,  aloud,  "  let's  see — Black  Dog?  No,  I  don't 
know  the  name,  not  I.  Yet  I  kind  of  think  I've— yes,  I've  seen 
the  swab.     He  used  to  come  here  with  a  blind  beggar,  he  used." 

"  That  he  did,  you  may  be  sure,"  said  I.  "I  knew  that  blind 
man,  too.    His  name  was  Pew." 

"  It  was!"  cried  Silver,  now  quite  excited.  "  Pew!  That  were 
his  name  for  certain.  Ah,  he  looked  a  shark,  he  did!  If  we  run 
down  this  Black  Dog,  now,  there'll  be  news  for  Cap'n  Trelawneyl 
Ben's  a  good  runner;  few  seamen  run  better  than  Ben.  He  should 
run  him  down,  hand  over  hand,  by  the  powers!  He  talked  o'  keel- 
hauling, did  he?    I'll  keel-haul  him!" 

All  the  time  he  was  jerking  out  these  phrases  he  was  stumping 
up  and  down  the  tavern  on  his  crutch,  slapping  tables  with  his 
hand,  and  giving  such  a  show  of  excitement  as  would  have  con- 
A^inced  an  Old  Bailey  judge  or  a  Bow  Street  runner.  My  suspicions 
had  been  thoroughly  reawakened  on  finding  Black  Dog  at  the  Spy- 
glass, and  I  watched  the  cook  narrowly.  But  he  was  too  deep,  and 
too  ready,  and  loo  clever  for  me,  and  by  the  time  the  two  men  had 
come  back  out  of  breath,  and  confessed  that  they  had  lost  the  track 
in  a  crowd,  and  been  scolded  like  thieves,  I  would  have  gone  bail 
for  the  innocence  of  Long  John  Silver. 

"See  here,  now,  Hawkins,"  said  he,  "here's  a  blessed  hard 
thing  on  a  man  like  me  now,  ain't  it?  There's  Cap'n  Trelawney — 
what's  he  to  think?  Here  I  have  this  confounded  son  of  a  Dutch- 
man sitting  in  my  own  house,  drinking  of  my  own  rum!  Here  you 
comes  and  tells  me  of  it  plain;  and  here  I  let  him  give  us  all  the  slip 
before  my  blessed  dead-lights!  Now,  Hawkins,  you  do  me  justice 
with  the  cap'n.  You're  a  lad,  you  are,  but  you're  as  smart  as 
paint.  I  see  that  when  you  first  came  in.  Now,  here  it  is:  What 
could  I  do,  with  this  old  timber  I  hobble  on?  When  I  was  an  A  B 
master  mariner  I'd  have  come  up  alongside  of  him,  hand  over  hand, 
and  broached  him  to  in  a  brace  of  old  shakes,  I  would;  and  now — " 

And  then,  all  of  a  sudden,  he  stopped,  and  his  jaw  dropped  as 
though  he  had  remembered  something. 

"  The  score!"  he  burst  out.  "  Three  goes  o'  rum!  Why,  shiver 
my  timbers,  if  I  hadn't  forgotten  my  score!" 

And,  falling  on  a  bench,  he  laughed  until  the  tears  ran  down  his 


40  TREASURE    ISLAKD. 

cheeks.  I  could  not  help  joining;  and  we  laughed  together,  peal 
after  peal,  until  the  tavern  rang  again. 

"  "Why,  what  a  precious  old  sea-calf  I  am!"  he  said,  at  last,  wip- 
ing his  cheeks.  "  You  and  me  should  get  on  well.  Hawkins,  for 
I'll  take  my  davy  I  should  be  rated  ships  boy.  But,  come,  now. 
stand  by  to  go  about.  This  won't  do.  Dooty  is  dooty,  messmates. 
I'll  put  on  my  old  cocked  hat,  and  step  along  of  you  to  Cap'n  Tre- 
lawney,  and  report  this  liere  affai-.  For,  niiad  you,  it's  serious, 
young  Hawkins;  and  neither  you  nor  me's  come  out  of  it  with  what 
I  should  make  so  bold  as  to  call  credit.  Nor  you  neither,  says 
you;  not  smart — none  of  the  pair  of  us  smart.  But  dash  my  but- 
tons! that  was  a  good  'un  about  my  score." 

And  he  began  to  laugh  again,  and  that  so  lieartilj^  that  though  I 
did  not  see  the  joke  as  he  did,  I  was  again  obliged  to  join  him  in 
his  mirth. 

On  our  little  walk  along  the  quays,  he  made  himself  the  most 
interesting  companion,  telling  me  about  the  different  ships  that  we 
passed  by,  their  rig,  tonnage,  and  nationality,  explaining  the  work 
that  was  goiug  forward — how  one  was  discharging,  another  taking 
in  cargo,  and  a  third  making  ready  for  sea;  and  every  now  and 
then  telling  me  some  little  anecdote  of  ships  or  seamen,  or  repeating 
a  nautical  phrase  till  I  had  learned  it  perfectl^^  I  began  to  see  that 
here  was  one  of  the  best  of  possible  shipmates. 

When  we  got  to  the  inn,  the  squire  and  Dr.  Livesey  were  seated 
together,  finishiug  a  quart  of  ale  with  a  toast  in  it,  before  they 
should  go  aboard  the  schooner  on  a  visit  of  inspection. 

Long  John  told  the  story  from  first  to  last,  with  a  great  deal  of 
spirit  and  the  most  perfect  truth.  "  That  was  how  it  were,  now, 
weren't  it,  Hawkins?"  he  would  say,  now  and  again,  and  I  could 
always  bear  him  entirely  out. 

The  two  gentlemen  regretted  that  Black  Dog  had  got  away;  but 
we  all  agreed  there  was  nothing  to  be  done,  and  after  he  had  been 
complimented.  Long  John  took  up  his  crutch  and  departed, 

"  All  hands  aboard  by  four  this  afternoon,  '  shouted  the  squire 
after  him. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  cried  the  cook,  ia  the  passage. 

"  Well,  squire,"  said  Dr.  Livesey,  "  I  don't  put  much  faith  in 
your  discoveries,  as  a  general  thing;  but  I  will  say  this — John  Sil- 
ver suits  me." 

"  That  man's  a  perfect  trump,"  declared  the  squire. 

"  And  now,"  added  the  doctor,  "  Jim  may  come  on  board  with 
us,  may  he  not?" 


t 


TREAStJRE    ISLAND.  41 

"  To  be  sure  he  may,"  says  the  squire.  "  Take  your  hat,  Haw- 
kins, and  we'll  see  the  ship." 

CHAPTER  IX. 

POWDER   AND    ARMS. 

The  "  Hispanlola  "  lay  some  way  out,  and  we  went  under  the 
figureheads  and  round  the  sterns  of  many  other  ships,  and  their 
cables  sometimes  grated  beneath  our  keel,  and  sometimes  swung 
above  us.  At  last,  however,  we  swung  alongside,  and  were  met 
and  saluted  as  we  stepped  aboard  by  the  mate,  Mr.  Arrow,  a  brown 
old  sailor,  with  ear-rings  in  his  ears  and  a  squint.  He  and  the 
squire  were  very  thick  and  friendly,  but  I  soon  observed  that  things 
were  not  the  same  between  Mr.  Trelawney  and  the  captain. 

This  last  was  a  sharp-looking  man,  who  seemed  angry  with  every- 
thing on  board,  and  was  soon  to  tell  us  why,  for  we  had  hardly  got 
down  into  the  cabin  when  a  sailor  followed  us. 

"  Captain  Smollett,  sir,  axing  to  speak  with  you,"  said  he. 
"  I  am  always  at  the  captain's  orders.     Show  him  in,"  said  the 
squire. 

The  captain,  who  was  close  behind  his  messenger,  entered  at  once, 
and  shut  the  door  behind  him. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  the  captain,  "  better  speak  plain,  I  believe,  at 
the  risk  of  offense.  I  don't  like  I  his  cruise;  I  don't  like  the  men; 
and  I  don't  like  my  officer.     That's  short  and  sweet." 

"Perhaps,  sir,  j'ou  don't  like  the  ship?"  inquired  the  squire, 
very  angry,  as  1  could  see. 

"  I  can't  speak  as  to  that,  sir,  not  having  seen  her  tried,"  said  the 
captain.     "  She  seems  a  clever  craft;  more  I  can't  say." 

"Possibly,  sir,  you  may  not  like  your  employer,  either?"  says 
the  squire. 
But  here  Dr.  Livesey  cut  in. 

"  Stay  a  bit,"  said  he,  "  stay  a  bit.  No  use  of  such  questions  as 
that  but  to  produce  ill-feeling.  The  caplain  has  said  too  much  or 
he  has  said  too  little,  and  I'm  bound  to  say  that  I  require  an  ex- 
planation of  his  words.  You  don't,  you  say,  like  this  cruise. 
Now,  why?" 

"  1  was  engaged,  sir,  on  what  we  call  scaled  orders,  to  sail  this 
ship  for  that  gentleman  where  he  should  bid  me,"  «aid  the  captain. 
"  So  far  so  good.     But  now  I  find  that  every  man  before  the  mast 
knows  more  than  I  do.     I  don't  call  that  fair,  now,  do  you?" 
"  No,"  said  Dr.  Livesey,  "  I  don't." 


42  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

"  Next,"  said  the  captain,  "  I  learn  we  are  going  after  treasure — 
hear  it  from  my  own  hands,  mind  you.  Now,  treasure  is  ticklish 
work;  I  don't  like  treasure  voyages  on  any  account;  and  I  don't 
like  them,  above  all,  when  they  are  secret,  and  when  (begging  your 
pardon,  Mr.  Trelawney)  the  secret  has  been  told  to  the  parrot." 

"  Silver's  parrot?"  asked  the  squire. 

"  It's  a  way  of  speaking,"  said  the  captain.  "  Blabbed,  I  mean. 
It's  my  belief  neither  of  you  gentlemen  know  what  you  are  about; 
but  I'll  tell  you  my  way  of  it — lite  or  death,  and  a  close  run." 

"That  is  all  clear,  and,  I  dare  say,  true  enough,"  replied  Dr. 
Livesey.  "  We  take  the  risk;  but  we  are  not  so  ignorant  as  you  be- 
lieve us.  Next,  you  say  you  don't  like  the  crew.  Are  they  not 
good  seamen?" 

"I  don't  like  them,  sir,"  returned  Captain  Smollett.  "And  I 
think  I  should  have  had  the  choosing  of  my  own  hands,  if  you  go 
to  that." 

"  Perhaps  you  should,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  My  friend  should, 
perhaps,  have  taken  you  along  with  him;  but  the  slight,  if  there  be 
one,  was  unintentional.     And  you  don't  like  Mr.  Arrow?" 

"I  don't,  sir.  I  believe  he's  a  good  seaman;  but  he's  too  free 
with  the  crew  to  be  a  good  officer.  A  mate  should  keep  himself  to 
himself— shouldn't  drink  with  the  men  before  the  mast!" 

"  Do  you  mean  he  drinks?"  cried  the  squire. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  the  captain;  "  only  that  he's  too  familiar." 

"Well,  now,  and  the  short  and  long  of  it,  captain?"  asked  the 
doctor.     "  Tell  us  what  you  wanl." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  are  you  determined  to  go  on  this  cruise?" 

"  Like  iron,"  answered  the  squire. 

"Very  good,"  said  the  captain.  "Then,  as  you've  heard  me 
very  patiently,  saying  things  that  I  could  not  prove,  hear  me  a  few 
words  more.  They  are  putting  the  powder  and  the  arms  in  the  fore- 
hold.  Now,  you  have  a  good  place  under  the  cabin;  why  not  put 
them  there?— first  point.  Then  you  are  bringing  four  of  your  own 
people  with  you,  and  they  tell  me  some  of  them  are  to  be  berthed 
forward.  Why  not  give  them  the  berths  here  beside  the  cabin- 
second  point." 

"  Any  more?"  asked  Mr.  Trelawney. 

"  One  more, "  said  the  captain.  "There's  been  too  much  blab- 
bing already." 

"  Far  too  much,"  agreed  the  doctor. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I've  heard  myself,"  continued  Captain  Smol- 
lett: "  that  you  have  a  map  of  an  island;  that  there's  crosses  on  the 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  43 

map  to  show  where  treasure  is;  and  that  the  island  lies — "    And 
then  he  named  the  latitude  and  longitude  exactly. 
"  I  never  told  that,"  cried  the  squire,  "  to  a  soul!" 
"  The  hands  know  it,  sir,"  returned  the  captain. 
' '  Livesey,  that  must  have  been  you  or  Hawkins, ' '  cried  the  squire. 
"  It  doesn't  much  matter  who  it  was,"  replied  the  doctor.    And  I 
could  see  that  neither  he  nor  the  captain  paid  much  regard  to  Mr. 
Trelawnej'^'s  protestations.     Neither  did  I,  to  be  sure,  he  was  so 
loose  a  talker;  yet  in  this  case  I  believe  he  was  really  right,  and 
that  nobody  had  told  the  situation  of  the  island. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,"  continued  the  captain,  "  I  don't  know  who 
has  this  map;  but  I  make  it  a  point,  it  shall  be  kept  secret  even  from 
me  and  Mr.  Arrow.     Otherwise  I  would  ask  j^ou  to  let  me  resign." 

"  1  see,"  said  the  doctor.  "  You  wish  to  keep  this  matter  dark, 
and  to  make  a  garrison  of  the  stern  part  of  the  ship,  manned  with 
my  friend's  own  people,  and  provided  with  all  the  arms  and  pow- 
der on  board.     In  other  words,  you  fear  a  mutiny." 

"  Sir,"  said  Captain  Smollett,  "  with  no  intention  to  take  offense, 
I  deny  your  right  to  put  words  into  my  mouth.  No  captain,  sir, 
would  be  justified  in  going  to  sea  at  all  if  he  had  ground  enough 
for  that.  As  for  Mr.  Arrow,  I  believe  him  thoroughly  honest;  some 
of  the  men  are  the  same;  all  may  be  for  what  I  know.  But  I  am 
responsible  for  the  ship's  safety  and  the  life  of  every  man  Jack 
aboard  of  her.  I  see  things  going,  as  I  think,  not  quite  right. 
And  I  ask  you  to  take  certain  precautions,  or  let  me  resign  my 
berth.     And  that's  all." 

"  Captain  Smollett,"  began  the  doctor,  with  a  smile,  "  did  ever 
you  hear  the  fable  of  the  mountain  and  the  mouse?  You'll  excuse 
me,  I  dare  say,  but  you  remind  me  of  that  fable.  When  you  came 
in  here  I'll  stake  my  wig  you  meant  more  than  this." 

"  Doctor,"  said  the  captain,  '  you  are  smart.  When  I  came  in 
here  I  meant  to  get  discharged.  I  had  no  thought  that  Mr.  Trelaw- 
ney  would  hear  a  word." 

"  No  more  I  would,"  cried  the  squire.  "  Had  Livesey  not  been 
here  I  should  have  seen  you  to  the  deuce.  As  it  is,  I  have  heard 
you.     I  will  do  as  you  desire;  but  I  think  the  worse  of  you." 

"  That's  as  you  please,  sir,"  said  the  captain.  "  You'll  find  I  do 
my  duty." 

And  with  that  he  took  his  leave. 

"  Trelawney,"  said  the  doctor,  "  contrary  to  all  my  notions,  I  be- 
lieve  you  have  managed  to  get  two  honest  men  on  board  with  you 
—that  man  and  John  Silver." 


44  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

"  Silver,  if  you  like,"  cried  the  squire;  "  but  as  for  that  intoler- 
able  humbug,  I  declare  I  think  his  conduct  unmanly,  unsailorly, 
and  downright  un-English." 

"  Well,"  says  the  doctor,  "  we  shall  see." 

When  we  came  on  deck,  the  men  had  begun  already  to  take  out 
the  arms  and  powder,  yo-ho-ing  at  their  work,  while  the  captain 
and  Mr.  Arrow  stood  by  superintending. 

The  new  arrangement  was  quite  to  my  liking.  The  whole 
schooner  had  been  overhauled;  six  berths  had  been  made  astern, 
out  of  what  had  been  the  afterpart  of  the  main  hold;  and  this  set  of 
cabins  was  only  joined  to  the  galley  and  forecastle  by  a  sparred 
passage  on  the  port  side.  It  had  been  originally  meant  that  the 
captain,  Mr.  Arrow,  Hunter,  Joyce,  the  doctor,  and  the  squire  were 
to  occupy  these  six  berths.  Now  Redruth  and  I  were  to  get  two  of 
them,  and  Mr.  Arrow  and  the  captain  were  to  sleep  on  deck  in  the 
companion,  which  had  been  enlarged  on  each  side  till  you  might 
almost  have  called  it  a  round-house.  Very  low  it  was  still,  of 
course;  but  there  was  room  to  swing  two  hammocks,  and  even  the 
mate  seemed  pleased  with  the  arrangement.  Even  he,  perhaps,  had 
been  doubtful  as  to  the  crew,  but  that  is  only  guess;  for,  as  you 
shall  hear,  we  had  not  long  the  benefit  of  his  opinion. 

We  were  all  hard  at  work,  changing  the  powder  and  the  berths, 
when  the  last  man  or  two,  and  Long  John  along  with  them,  came 
off  in  a  shore-boat. 

The  cook  came  up  the  side  like  a  monkey  for  cleverness,  and,  as  soon 
as  he  saw  what  was  doing,  "  So  ho,  mates!"  said  he,  "  what's  this?" 

"  We're  a-changing  the  powder.  Jack,"  answers  one. 

"  Why,  by  the  powers,"  cried  Long  John,  "  if  we  do,  we'll  miss 
the  morning  tide!" 

"My  orders!"  said  the  captain  shortly.  "  You  may  go  below, 
my  man.     Hands  will  want  supper." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  cook;  and,  touching  his  forelock, 
he  disappeared  at  once  in  the  direction  of  his  galley. 

"  That's  a  good  man,  captain,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Very  likely,  sir,"  replied  Captain  Smollett.  "  Easy  with  that, 
men — easy,"  he  ran  on,  to  the  fellows  who  were  shifting  the  pow- 
der: and  then  suddenly  observing  me  examining  the  swivel  we  car- 
ried amidsliips,  a  long  brass  nine — "Here,  you  shiji's  boy,"  he 
cried,  "  out  o'  that!   Off  with  you  to  the  cook  and  get  some  work." 

And  then  as  I  was  hurrying  off  I  heard  him  say,  quite  loudly,  to 
the  doctor: 

"  I'll  have  no  favorites  on  my  ship." 


TEEASUEE    ISLA1S"D.  45 

I  assure  you  I  was  quite  of  the  squire's  way  of  thinking,  and 
hated  the  capteiin  deeply. 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE  VOYAGE. 

All  that  night  we  were  in  a  great  bustle  getting  things  stowed  in 
their  place,  and  boatfuls  of  the  squire's  friends,  Mr.  Blandly  and 
the  like,  coming  off  to  wish  him  a  good  voyage  and  a  safe  return. 
We  never  had  a  night  at  the  Admiral  Benbow  when  I  had  half  the 
work;  and  I  was  dog-tired  when,  a  little  before  dawn,  the  boat- 
swain sounded  his  pipe,  and  the  crew  began  to  man  the  capstan- 
bars.  I  might  have  been  twice  as  weary,  yet  I  wovdd  not  have  left 
the  deck;  all  was  so  new  and  interesting  to  me — the  brief  com- 
mands, the  shrill  notes  of  the  whistle,  the  men  bustling  to  their 
places  in  the  glimmer  of  the  ship's  lanterns. 

"  Now,  Barbecue,  tip  us  a  stave,"  cried  one  voice. 

"  The  old  one,"  cried  another. 

"  Ay,  ay,  mates,"  said  Long  John,  who  was  standing  by,  with 
his  crutch  under  his  arm,  and  at  once  broke  out  in  the  air  and 
words  1  knew  so  well : 

"  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest  "— 

And  then  the  whole  crew  bore  chorus: 

"  Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  1" 
And  at  the  third  "  ho!"  drove  the  bars  before  them  with  a  will. 

Even  at  that  exciting  moment  it  carried  me  back  to  the  old  Ad- 
miral Benbow  in  a  second;  and  I  seemed  to  hear  the  voice  of  the 
captain  piping  in  the  chorus.  But  soon  the  anchor  was  short  up; 
soon  it  was  hanging  dripping  at  the  bows;  soon  the  sails  began  to 
draw,  and  the  land  and  shipping  to  flit  by  on  either  side;  and  before 
I  could  lie  down  to  snatch  an  hour  of  slumber  the  "  Hispaniola  " 
had  begun  her  voyage  to  the  Isle  of  Treasure. 

I  am  not  going  to  relate  the  voyage  in  detail.  It  was  fairly  pros- 
perous. The  ship  proved  to  be  a  good  ship,  the  crew  were  capable 
seamen,  and  the  captain  thoroughly  understood  his  business.  But 
before  we  came  the  length  of  Treasure  Island,  two  or  three  things 
had  happened  which  require  to  be  known. 

Mr.  Arrow,  first  of  all,  turned  out  even  worse  than  the  captain 
had  feared.  He  had  no  command  among  the  men,  and  people  did 
what  they  pleased  with  him.  But  that  was  by  no  means  the  worst 
of  it;  for  after  a  day  or  two  at  sea  he  began  to  appear  on  deck  with 
hazy  eye,  red  cheeks,  stuttering  tongue,  and  other  marks  of  drunk- 


46  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

enncss.  Time  after  time  he  was  ordered  below  in  disgrace.  Some- 
times he  fell  and  cut  himself i  sometimes  he  lay  all  day  long  iu  his 
little  bunk  at  one  side  of  the  companion;  sometimes  for  a  day  ov 
two  he  would  be  almost  sober  and  attend  to  his  work  at  least  pass, 
ably. 

In  the  meantime,  we  could  never  make  out  where  he  got  the 
drink.  That  was  the  ship's  mystery.  Watch  him  as  we  pleased, 
we  could  do  nothing  to  solve  it;  and  when  we  asked  him  to  his  face, 
he  would  only  laugh,  if  he  were  drunk,  and  if  he  were  sober,  deny 
solemnly  that  he  ever  tasted  anything  but  water. 

He  Avas  not  only  useless  as  an  officer,  and  a  bad  influence  amongst, 
the  men,  but  it  was  plain  that  at  this  rate  he  must  soon  kill  himself 
outright;  so  nobody  was  much  surprised,  nor  very  sorry,  when  one 
dark  night,  with  a  head  sea,  he  disappeared  entirely  and  was  seen 
no  more. 

"  Overboard!"  said  the  captain.  "  Well,  gentlemen,  that  saves 
the  trouble  of  putting  him  in  irons." 

But  there  we  were,  without  a  mate;  and  it  was  necessary,  of 
course,  to  advance  one  of  the  men.  The  boatswain,  Job  Anderson, 
was  the  likeliest  man  aboard,  and,  though  he  kept  his  old  title,  he 
served  in  a  way  as  mate.  Mr.  Trelawuey  had  followed  the  sea,  and 
his  knowledge  made  him  very  useful,  for  he  often  took  a  watch 
himself  in  easy  weather.  And  the  cockswain,  Israel  Hands,  was  a 
careful,  wily,  old,  experienced  seaman,  who  could  be  trusted  at  a 
pinch  with  almost  anything. 

He  was  a  great  confidant  of  Long  John  Silver,  and  so  the  men- 
tion of  his  name  leads  me  on  to  speak  of  our  ship's  cook.  Barbecue, 
as  the  men  called  him. 

Aboard  ship  he  carried  his  crutch  by  a  lanyard  roimd  his  neck,  to 
have  both  hands  as  free  as  possible.  It  was  something  to  see  him 
wedge  the  foot  of  the  crutch  against  a  bulkhead,  and,  propped 
against  it,  yielding  to  every  movement  of  the  ship,  get  on  with  his 
cooking  like  some  one  safe  ashore.  Still  more  strange  was  it  to  see 
him  in  1  he  heaviest  of  weather  cross  the  deck.  He  had  a  linear 
two  rigged  up  to  help  him  across  the  widest  spaces — Long  John's 
ear-rings,  they  were  called;  and  he  would  hand  himself  from  one 
place  to  another,  now  using  the  crutch,  now  trailing  it  alongside  by 
the  lanyard,  as  quickly  as  another  man  could  walk.  Yet  some  of 
the  men  who  had  sailed  with  him  before  expressed  their  pity  to  see 
him  so  reduced. 

"  He's  no  common  man.  Barbecue,"  said  the  cockswain  to  me. 
"  He  had  good  schooling  iu  his  young  days,  and  can  speak  like  a 


TKEASUEE    ISLAND.  47 

book  when  so  minded;  and  brave — a  lion's  nothing  alongside  of 
Long  John!  I  see  him  grapple  four,  and  knock  their  heads  together 
— him  unarmed." 

All  the  crew  respected  and  even  obeyed  him.  He  had  a  way  of 
talking  to  each,  and  doing  everybody  seme  particular  service.  To 
me  he  was  unweariedly  kind;  and  always  glad  to  see  me  in  the 
galley,  which  he  kept  as  clean  as  a  new  pin;  the  dishes  hanging  up 
burnished,  and  his  parrot  in  a  cage  in  the  corner. 

*'  Come  away,  Hawkins,"  he  would  say;  "  come  and  have  a  yarn 
with  John.  Nobody  more  welcome  than  yourself,  my  son.  Sit 
you  down  and  hear  the  news.  Here's  Cap'u  Flint — I  calls  my  par- 
rot Cap'n  Flint,  after  the  famous  buccaneer — here's  Cap'n  Flint 
predicting  success  to  our  v'yage.     Wasn't  you,  cap'n?" 

And  the  parrot  would  say,  with  great  rapidity,  "  Pieces  of  eight! 
pieces  of  eight!  pieces  of  eight!"  till  you  wondered  that  it  was  not 
out  of  breath,  or  till  John  threw  his  handkerchief  over  the  cage. 

"Now,  that  bird,"  he  would  say,  "is,  may  be,  two  hundred 
years  old,  Hawkins — they  live  forever  mostly;  and  if  anybody's 
seen  more  wickedness,  it  must  be  the  devil  himself.  She's  sailed 
with  England— the  great  Cap'n  England,  the  pirate.  She's  been  at 
Madagascar,  and  at  Malabar,  and  Surinam,  and  Providence,  and 
Portobello.  She  was  at  the  fishing  up  of  the  wrecked  plate  ships. 
It's  there  she  learned  '  Pieces  of  eight,'  and  little  wonder;  three 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  'em,  Hawkins!  She  was  at  the 
boarding  of  the  '  Viceroy  of  the  Indies  '  out  of  Goa,  she  was;  and 
to  look  at  her  you  would  think  she  was  a  babby.  But  you  smelled 
powder — didn't  you,  cap'n?" 

"  Stand  by  to  go  about,"  the  parrot  would  scream. 

"  Ah,  she's  a  handsome  craft,  she  is,"  the  cook  would  say,  and 
give  her  sugar  from  his  pocket,  and  then  the  bird  would  peck  at 
the  bars  and  swear  straight  on,  passing  belief  for  wickedness. 
"  There,"  John  would  add,  "you  can't  touch  pitch  and  not  be 
mucked,  lad.  Here's  this  poor  old  innocent  bird  of  mine  swearing 
blue  fire,  and  none  the  wiser,  you  may  lay  to  that.  She  would 
swear  the  same,  in  a  manner  of  speaking,  before  the  chaplain."  And 
John  would  touch  his  forelock  with  a  solemn  way  he  had.  that 
made  me  think  he  was  the  best  of  men. 

In  the  meantime,  squire  and  Captain  Smollett  were  still  on  pretty 
distant  terms  with  one  another.  The  squire  made  no  bones  about 
the  matter;  he  despised  the  captain.  The  captain,  on  his  part, 
never  spoke  but  when  he  was  spoken  to,  and  then  sharp  and  short 
■and  dry,  and  not  a  word  wasted.     He  owned,  when  driven  into  ^ 


48  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

corner,  that  he  seemed  to  have  been  wrong  about  the  crew,  that 
some  of  them  were  as  brisk  as  he  wanted  to  see,  and  all  had  behaved 
fairly  well.  As  for  the  ship,  he  had  taken  a  downright  fancy  to 
her.  "  She'il  lie  a  point  nearer  the  wind  than  a  man  has  a  right  to 
expect  of  his  own  married  wife,  sir.  But,"  he  would  add,  "  all  I 
say  is,  we're  not  home  again,  and  1  don't  like  the  cruise." 

The  squire,  at  this,  would  turn  away  and  march  up  and  dowu 
the  deck,  chin  in  air. 

*'  A  trifle  more  of  that  man."  he  would  say,  "  and  I  should  ex- 
p\ode." 

"We  had  some  heavy  weather,  which  only  proved  (he  qualities  of 
the  "  Hispaniola."  Every  man  on  board  seemed  well  content.,  and 
they  must  have  been  hard  to  please  if  they  had  been  otherwise;  for 
it  is  my  belief  there  was  never  a  ship's  company  so  spoiled  since 
Noah  put  to  sea.  Double  grog  was  going  on  the  least  excuse;  there 
was  duff  on  odd  days,  as  for  instance,  if  the  squire  heard  it  as  any 
man's  birthday;  and  always  a  barrel  of  apples  standing  broached  in 
the  waist,  for  any  one  to  help  himself  that  had  a  fancy. 

"Never  knew  good  to  come  of  it  yet, "  the  captain  said  to  Dr. 
Livesey.     "  Spoil  fok's'le  hands,  make  devils.    That's  my  belief." 

But  good  did  come  of  the  apple  barrel,  as  you  shall  hear;  for  if 
it  had  not  been  for  that,  we  should  have  had  no  note  of  warning 
ind  might  all  have  perished  by  the  hand  of  treachery. 

This  is  how  it  came  about. 

We  had  run  up  the  trades  to  get  the  wind  of  the  island  we  were 
after — I  am  not  allowed  to  be  more  plain — and  now  we  were  run- 
ning down  for  it  with  a  bright  lookout  day  and  night.  It  was 
about  the  last  day  of  our  outward  voyage,  by  the  largest  computa- 
tion; some  time  that  night,  or,  at  latest,  before  noon  of  the  morrow, 
we  should  sight  the  Treasure  Island.  We  were  heading  S.  S.  W., 
and  had  a  steady  breeze  abeam  and  a  quiet  sea.  The  "  Hispaniola  " 
rolled  steadily,  dipping  her  bowsprit  now  and  then  with  a  whiff  of 
spray.  All  was  drawing  alow  and  aloft;  every  one  was  in  the 
bravest  spirits,  because  we  were  now  so  near  an  end  of  the  first  part 
of  our  adventure. 

Now,  just  after  sundown,  when  all  my  work  was  over,  and  I  was 
on  my  way  to  my  berth,  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  should  like  an 
apple.  I  ran  on  deck.  The  watch  was  all  forward  looking  out  for 
the  island.  The  man  at  the  helm  was  watching  the  luff  of  the  sail, 
«nd  whistling  away  gently  to  himself;  and  that  was  the  only  sound 
excepting  the  swish  of  the  sea  against  the  bows  and  around  tha 
'ides  of  the  ship. 


TEEASURE    ISLAND.  49 

In  I  got  bodily  into  the  apple  barrel,  and  found  there  was  scarce 
an  apple  left;  but,  sitting  down  there  in  the  dark,  what  with  the 
sound  of  the  waters  and  the  rocking  movement  of  the  ship,  I  had 
either  fallen  asleep,  or  was  on  the  point  of  doing  so,  when  a  heavy- 
man  sat  down  with  rather  a  clash  close  by.  The  barrel  shook  as  he 
leaned  his  shoulders  against  it,  and  I  was  just  about  to  jump  up 
when  the  man  began  to  speak.  It  was  Silver's  voice,  and,  before  I 
had  heard  a  dozen  words,  I  would  not  have  shown  myself  for  all 
the  world,  but  lay  there,  trembling  and  listening,  in  the  extreme  ol 
fear  and  curiosity;  for  from  these  dozen  words  I  understood  that 
the  lives  of  all  the  honest  men  aboard  depended  upon  me  alone. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

■WHAT  I  HEARD  IN  THE  APPLE   BARREL. 

"  No,  not  I,"  said  Silver.  "  Flint  was  cap'n;  I  was  quarter-mas- 
ter, along  of  my  timber  leg.  The  same  broadside  I  lost  my  leg,  old 
Pew  lost  his  deadlights.  It  was  a  master  surgeon,  him  that 
ampytated  me — out  of  college  and  all — Latin  by  the  bucket,  and 
what  not;  but  he  was  hanged  like  a  dog,  and  sun-dried  like  the  rest, 
at  Corso  Castle.  That  was  Roberts'  men,  that  was,  and  corned  of 
changing  names  to  their  ships — '  Royal  Fortune  '  and  so  on.  Now, 
what  a  ship  was  christened,  so  let  her  stay,  I  says.  So  it  was  with 
the  '  Cassandra,'  as  brought  us  all  safe  home  from  Malabar,  after 
England  took  the  '  Viceroy  of  the  Indies;'  so  it  was  with  the  old 
'  Walrus,'  Flint's  old  ship,  as  I've  seen  a-muck  with  the  red  blood 
and  fit  to  sink  with  gold." 

"  Ah!"  cried  another  voice,  that  of  the  youngest  hand  on  board, 
and  evidently  full  of  admiration,  "  he  was  the  flower  of  the  flock, 
was  Flint!" 

"  Davis  was  a  man,  too,  by  all  accounts,"  said  Silver.  "  I  never 
sailed  along  of  him;  first  with  England,  then  with  Flint,  that's  my 
story;  and  now  here  on  my  own  account,  in  a  manner  of  speaking. 
I  laid  by  nine  hundred  safe,  from  England,  and  two  thousand  aftei 
Flint.  That  ain't  bad  for  a  man  before  the  mast — all  safe  in  bank. 
'Tain't  earning  now;  it's  saving  does  it,  you  may  lay  to  that. 
Where's  all  England's  men  nowT  I  dunno.  Where's  Flint's? 
Why,  most  on  'em  aboard  here,  and  glad  to  get  the  duff — been  beg- 
ging before  that,  some  on  'em.  Old  Pew,  as  had  lost  his  sight,  and 
might  have  thought  shame,  spends  twelve  hundred  pounds  in  a 
year,  like  a  lord  in  Parliament.  Where  is  he  now?  Well,  he's 
dead  now  and  under  hatches;  but  for  two  years  before  that,  shiver 


50  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

my  timbers!  that  man  was  starving.  He  begged,  and  he  stole,  and 
he  cut  throats,  and  starved  at  that,  by  the  powers!" 

"  Well,  it  a\a't  much  use,  after  all,"  said  the  young  seaman. 

"  'Tain't  much  use  for  fools,  you  may  lay  to  it — that,  nor  noth- 
ing," cried  Silver.  "  But  now,  you  look  here:  you're  youug,  j^ou 
are,  but  you're  as  smart  as  paint.  I  see  that  when  I  set  my  eyes  on 
you,  and  I'll  talk  to  you  like  a  man." 

You  can  imagine  how  I  felt  when  I  heard  this  abominable  old 
rogue  addressing  another  in  the  very  same  words  of  flattery  as  he 
had  used  to  myself.  I  think,  if  I  had  been  able,  that  I  would  have 
killed  him  through  the  barrel.  Meantime,  he  ran  on,  little  suppos- 
ing he  was  overheard. 

"  Here  it  is  about  gentlemen  of  fortune.  They  lives  rough,  and 
they  risk  swinging,  but  they  eat  and  drink  like  fighting-cocks,  and 
when  a  cruise  is  done,  why  it's  hundreds  of  pounds  instead  of  hun- 
dreds of  farthings  in  their  pockets.  Now,  the  most  goes  for  rum 
and  a  good  fling,  and  to  sea  again  in  their  shirts.  But  that's  not 
the  course  I  lay.  I  puts  it  all  away,  some  here,  some  there,  and 
none  too  much  anywheres,  by  reason  of  suspicion.  I'm  fifty,  mark 
you;  once  back  from  this  cruise,  I  set  up  gentleman  in  earnest. 
Time  enough,  too,  says  you.  Ah,  but  I've  lived  easy  in  the  mean- 
time; never  denied  myself  o'  nothing  heart  desires,  and  slept  soft 
and  eat  dainty  all  my  days,  but  when  at  sea.  And  how  did  I  be- 
gin?   Before  the  mast,  like  you!" 

"  Well,"  said  the  other,  "but  all  the  other  money's  gone  now, 
ain't  it?    You  daren't  show  face  in  Bristol  after  this." 

"  Why,  where  might  you  suppose  it  was?"  asked  Silver,  de- 
risively. 

"  At  Bristol,  in  banks  and  places,"  answered  his  companion. 

"  It  were, "  said  the  cook;  "  it  were  when  we  weighed  anchor. 
But  my  old  missis  has  it  all  by  now.  And  the  Spy-glass  is  sold,  lease 
and  good  will  and  rigging;  and  the  old  girl's  off  to  meet  me.  I 
would  tell  you  where,  for  I  trust  you;  but  it  'ud  make  jealousy 
among  the  mates." 

"  And  you  can  trust  your  missis?"  asked  the  other. 

"  Gentlemen  of  fortune,"  returned  the  cook,  "  usually  trusts  little 
among  themselves,  and  right  they  are,  you  may  lay  to  it.  But  I 
have  a  way  with  me,  I  have.  When  a  mate  brings  a  slip  on  his 
cable — one  as  knows  me,  I  mean — it  won't  be  in  the  same  world 
with  old  John.  There  was  some  that  was  feared  of  Pew,  and  some 
that  was  feared  of  Flint;  but  Flint  his  own  self  was  feared  of  me. 
Feared  he  was,  and  proud.    They  was  the  roughest  crew  afloat,  was 


TREASURE    ISLA2ST).  51 

Flint's;  the  devil  himself  would  have  been  feared  to  go  to  sea  with 
them.  Well,  now,  I  tell  you,  I'm  not  a  boasting  man,  and  3'ou 
seen  yourself  how  easy  i  keep  company;  but  when  1  was  quarter- 
master, lambs  wasn't  the  word  for  Flint's  old  buccaneers.  Ah,  you 
may  be  sure  of  yourself  in  old  John's  ship.'' 

"  Well,  I  tell  you  now,"  replied  the  lad,  "  I  didn't  half  a  quarter 
like  the  job  till  I  had  this  talk  with  you,  John;  but  there's  my  hand 
on  it  now." 

"  And  a  brave  lad  you  were,  and  smart,  too,"  answered  Silver, 
shaking  hands  so  heartily  that  all  the  barrel  shook,  "  and  a  finer 
figure-head  for  a  gentleman  of  fortune  I  never  clapped  my  eyes  on. " 

By  this  time  I  had  begun  to  understand  the  meaning  of  their 
terms.  By  a  "  gentleman  of  fortune  "  they  plainly  meant  neither 
more  nor  less  than  a  common  pirate,  and  the  little  scene  that  I  had 
overheard  was  the  last  act  in  the  corruption  of  one  of  the  honest 
hands — perhaps  of  the  last  one  left  aboard.  But  on  this  point  1  was 
soon  to  be  relieved,  for  Silver  giving  a  little  whistle,  a  third  man 
strolled  up  and  sat  down  by  the  party. 

"  Dick's  square,"  said  Silver. 

"  Oh,  I  know'dDick  was  square,"  returned  the  voice  of  the  cock- 
swain, Israel  Hands.  "He's  no  fool,  is  Dick."  And  he  turned 
his  quid  and  spat.  "  But,  look  here,"  he  went  00,  "  here's  what  I 
want  to  know.  Barbecue — how  long  are  we  a-going  to  stand  off 
and  on  like  a  blessed  bum-boat?  I've  had  a'most  enough  o'  Cap' a 
Smollett;  he's  hazed  me  long  enough,  by  thunder!  I  want  to  go 
into  that  cabin,  I  do.     I  want  their  pickles  and  wines,  and  that." 

"  Israel,"  said  Silver,  "  your  head  ain"t  much  account,  nor  ever 
was.  But  you're  able  to  hear,  I  reckon;  leastways,  your  ears  is 
big  enough.  Now,  here's  what  I  sey — you'll  berth  forward,  atjd 
you'll  live  hard,  and  you'll  speak  soft,  and  you'll  keep  sober,  till  I 
give  the  word;  and  you  may  lay  to  that,  my  son." 

"  Well,  I  don't  say  no,  do  I?"  growled  the  cockswain.  "  What  I 
say  is,  when?    That's  what  I  say." 

"  When!  by  the  powers!"  cried  Silver.  "  Well,  now,  if  j-ou 
want  to  know,  I'll  tell  you  when.  The  last  moment  I  can  manage; 
and  that's  when.  Here's  a  first  rate  seaman,  Cap'n  Smollett,  sails 
the  blessed  ship  for  us.  Here's  this  squire  and  doctor  with  a  map 
and  such— I  don't  know  where  it  is,  do  I?  No  more  do  you,  saj-s 
you.  Well,  then,  I  mean  this  squire  and  doctor  shall  find  tlie  stuff 
and  help  us  to  get  it  aboard,  by  the  powers.  Then  we'll  see.  If  1 
was  sure  of  you  all,  sons  of  double  Dutchmen,  I'd  have  Cap'n 
Smollet  navigate  us  half  way  back  again  before  I  struck." 


53  TREASUKE    ISLAND. 

"  Why,  we're  all  seamen  aboard  here,  I  should  think,"  said  the 
lad  Dick. 

"We're  all  fok's'le  hands,  you  mean,"  snapped  Silver.  "We 
can  steer  a  course,  but  who's  to  set  one?  That's  what  all  you  gen- 
tlemen split  on,  first  and  last.  If  I  had  my  way,  I'd  have  Cap'n 
Smollett  work  us  back  into  the  trades  at  least:  then  we'd  have  no 
blessed  miscalculations  and  a  spoonful  of  water  a  day.  But  I  know 
the  sort  you  are.  I'll  finish  with  'em  at  the  island,  as  soon's  the 
blunt's  on  board,  and  a  pity  it  is.  But  you're  never  happy  till 
you're  drunk.  Split  my  sides,  I've  a  sick  heart  to  sail  with  the 
likes  of  you  I" 

"Easy  all,  Long  John,"  cried  Israel.  "Who's  a-crossin'  of 
you?" 

"  Why,  how  many  tall  ships,  think  ye,  now,  have  I  seen  laid 
aboard?  and  how  many  brisk  lads  drying  in  the  sun  at  Execution 
Dock?"  cried  Silver;  "  and  all  for  tbis  same  hurry  and  hurry  and 
hurrJ^  You  hear  me?  I  seen  a  thing  or  two  at  sea,  I  have.  If 
you  would  on'y  lay  your  course,  and  a  p'int  to  windward,  you 
would  ride  in  carriages,  you  would.  But  not  you!  I  know  you. 
You'll  have  your  mouthful  of  rum  to-morrow,  and  go  hang." 

"  Everybody  know 'd  you  was  a  kind  of  "a  chapling,  John;  but 
there's  others  as  could  hand  and  steer  as  well  as  you,"  said  Israel. 
"  They  liked  a  bit  o'  fun,  they  did.  Tliey  wasn't  so  high  and  dry, 
nohow,  but  took  their  fling,  like  jolly  companions  every  one." 

"  So?"  says  Silver.  "  Well,  and  where  are  they  now?  Pew  was 
that  sort,  and  he  died  a  beggar-man.  Flint  was,  and  he  died  of 
rum  at  Savannah.  Ah,  they  was  a  sweet  crew,  they  was!  on'y,  where 
are  they?" 

"Bui,"  asked  Dick,  "  when  we  do  lay 'em  athwart,  w^hat  are 
we  to  do  with  'em,  anyhow?" 

"  There's  the  man  for  me!"  cried  the  cook,  admiringly.  "  That's 
what  I  call  business.  Well,  what  would  you  think?  Put  'cm 
ashore  like  maroons?  That  would  have  been  England's  way.  Or 
cut  'em  down  like  that  much  pork?  That  would  have  been  Fliul's 
or  Billy  Bones's. " 

"  Billy  was  the  man  for  that,"  said  Israel.  "  '  Dead  men  don't 
bite,'  says  he.  Well,  he's  dead  now  hisself;  he  knows  the  long  and 
short  on  it  now;  and  if  ever  a  rough  hand  come  to  port,  it  was 
Billy." 

' '  Right  you  are, ' '  said  Silver,  ' '  rough  and  ready.  But  mark  j-ou 
here;  I'm  an  easy  man — I'm  quite  the  gentleman,  says  you;  but  this 
time  it  s  serious.     Dooty  is  dooty,  mates.     I  give  my  vote  death. 


TREASURE    ISLAKD.  53 

When  I'm  in  Parlyment,  and  riding  in  my  coach,  I  don't  want  none 
of  these  sea- lawyers  in  the  cabin  a-coming  home,  unlooked  for,  like 
the  devil  at  prayers.  Wait  is  what  I  say;  but  when  the  time  comes, 
why  let  her  rip!" 

"  John,"  cries  the  cockswain,  "  you're  a  mani" 

"  You'll  say  so,  Israel,  when  you  see,"  said  Silver,  "  Only  one 
thing  1  claim— I  claim  Trelawney  I'll  wring  his  calf's  head  ofl 
his  body  with  these  hands.  Dick!"  he  added,  breaking  off,  "  you 
must  jump  up,  like  a  sweet  lad,  and  get  me  an  apple,  to  wet  my 
pipe  like." 

You  may  fancy  the  terror  I  was  in!  I  should  have  leaped  out 
and  run  for  it,  if  I  had  found  the  strength;  but  my  limbs  and  heart 
alike  misgave  me.  I  heard  Dick  begin  to  rise,  and  then  some  on? 
seemingly  stopped  him,  and  the  voice  of  Hands  exclaimed: 

"  Oh,  stow  that!  Don't  you  get  sucking  of  that  bilge,  John 
Let's  have  a  go  of  the  rum." 

"Dick,"  said  Silver,  "I  trust  you.  I've  a  gauge  on  the  keg, 
mind.     There's  the  key;  you  fill  a  pannikin  and  bring  it  up." 

Terrified  as  I  was,  I  could  not  help  thinking  to  myself  that  this 
must  have  been  how  Mr.  Arrow  got  the  strong  waters  that  destroyed 
him. 

Dick  was  gone  but  a  little  while,  and  during  his  absence  Israel 
spoke  straight  on  in  the  cook's  ear.  It  was  but  a  word  or  two  that 
I  could  catch,  and  yet  1  gathered  some  important  news;  for,  besides 
other  scraps  that  tended  to  the  same  purpose,  this  whole  clause  was 
audible;  "Not  another  man  of  them'll  jine"  Hence  there  were 
still  faithful  men  on  board. 

When  Dick  returned,  one  after  another  of  the  trio  took  the  pan- 
nikin and  drank — one  "  To  luck;"  another  with  a  "  Here's  to  old 
Flint;"  and  Siiver  himself  saying,  in  a  kind  of  song,  "  Here's  to 
ourselves,  and  hold  your  luff,  plenty  of  prizes  and  plenty  of  duff." 

Just  then  a  sort  of  brightness  fell  upon  me  in  the  barrel,  and, 
looking  up,  I  found  the  moon  had  risen,  and  was  silvering  the 
mizzen-top  and  shining  while  on  the  luff  of  the  foresail;  and  almost 
at  the  same  time  the  voice  on  the  lookout  shouted,  "  Land  ho!" 


CHAPTER  XII. 

COUNCIIi    OP    WAR. 

There  was  a  great  rush  of  feet  across  the  deck.  I  could  hear 
people  tumbling  up  from  the  cabin  and  the  fok's'le;  and,  slipping 
in  an  instant  outside  my  barrel,  1  dived  bciiiud  the  foresail,  mad.i  a 


64  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

dou'jle  toward  the  stern,  and  came  out  upon  the  open  deck  in  time 
to  join  HunI  er  and  Dr.  Livesey  in  the  rush  for  the  weather  bow. 

Thisre  all  hands  were  already  congregated.  A  belt  of  fog  had 
lifted  almost  simultaneously  with  the  appearance  of  the  moon. 
Away  to  the  south-west  of  us  we  saw  two  low  hills,  about  a  couple 
of  miles  apart,  and  rising  behind  one  of  them  a  third  and  higher 
hill,  whose  peak  was  still  buried  in  the  fog.  All  three  seemed  sharp 
and  conical  in  figure. 

So  much  I  saw  almost  in  a  dream,  for  I  had  not  yet  recovered 
from  my  horrid  fear  of  a  minute  or  two  before.  And  then  I  heard 
the  voice  of  Captain  Smollett  issuing  orders.  The  ' '  Hispaniola  ' ' 
was  laid  a  couple  of  points  nearer  the  wind,  and  now  sailed  a  course 
that  would  just  clear  the  island  on  the  east. 

'*  And  now,  men,"  said  the  captain,  when  all  was  sheeted  home, 
"  has  any  one  of  you  ever  seen  that  land  ahead?" 

"  I  have,  sir,"  said  Silver.  "  I've  watered  there  with  a  trader  I 
was  cook  in." 

"  The  anchorage  is  on  the  south,  behind  an  islet,  I  fancy?"  asked 
the  captain. 

"  Yes,  sir;  Skeleton  Island  they  calls  it.  It  were  a  main  place 
for  pirates  once,  and  a  hand  we  had  on  board  knowed  all  their 
names  for  it.  That  hill  to  the  nor'ard  they  calls  the  Foremast  Hill; 
there  are  three  hills  in  a  row  running  south'ard — fore,  main  and 
mizzen,  sir.  But  the  main — that's  the  big  'un,  with  the  cloud  on 
it — they  usually  calls  the  Spy-glass,  by  reason  of  a  lookout  they 
kept  when  they  was  in  the  anchorage  cleaning;  for  it's  there  they 
cleaned  their  ships,  sir,  asking  your  pardon." 

"I  have  a  chart  here,"  says  Captain  Smollett.  "See  if  that's 
the  place  " 

Long  John's  eyes  burned  in  his  head  as  he  took  the  chart;  but, 
by  the  fresh  look  of  the  paper,  I  knew  he  was  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment. This  was  not  the  map  we  found  in  Billy  Bones's  chest, 
but  an  accurate  copy,  complete  in  all  things — names,  and  heights, 
and  soundings — with  the  single  exception  of  the  red  crosses  and  the 
written  notes.  Sharp  as  must  have  been  his  aimoyance.  Silver  had 
the  strength  of  mind  to  hide  it. 

"  Yes,  sir,'"  said  he,  "  this  is  the  spot,  to  be  sure;  and  very  prettily 
drawed  out.  Who  might  have  done  that,  I  wonder?  The  pirates 
were  too  ignorant,  I  reckon.  Ay,  here  it  is:  '  Captain  Kidd's 
anchorage  ' — just  the  name  my  shipmate  called  it.  There's  a 
strong  current  runs  along  the  south,  and  then  away  nor'ard  up  the 
■west  coast.    Right  you  was,  sir,"  says  he,  "  to  haul  your  wind  and 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  55 

keep  the  weather  of  the  island.  Leastways,  if  such  was  your  ia- 
tention  as  to  enter  and  careen,  and  there  ain't  no  better  place  for 
that  in  these  waters." 

"  Thank  you,  my  man,"  says  Captain  Smollett.  "  1*11  ask  you, 
later  on,  to  give  us  a  help.     You  may  go." 

I  was  surprised  at  the  coolness  with  which  John  avowed  his 
knowledge  of  the  island;  and  I  own  I  was  half -frightened  when  I 
saw  him  drawing  nearer  to  myself.  He  did  not  know,  to  be  sure, 
that  I  had  overheard  his  council  from  the  apple  barrel,  and  yet  I 
had,  by  this  time,  taken  such  a  horror  of  his  cruelty,  duplicity,  and 
power,  that  I  could  scarce  conceal  a  shudder  when  he  laid  his  hand 
upon  my  arm. 

"  Ah,"  says  he,  "  this  here  is  a  sweet  spot,  this  island — a  sweet 
spot  for  a  lad  to  get  ashore  on.  You'll  bathe,  and  you'll  climb 
trees,  and  you'll  hunt  goats,  you  will;  and  you'll  get  aloft  on  them 
hills  like  a  goat  yourself.  Why,  it  makes  me  young  again.  I  was 
going  to  forget  my  timber  leg,  I  was.  It's  a  pleasant  thing  to  be 
young,  and  have  ten  toes,  and  you  may  lay  to  that.  When  you 
want  to  go  a  bit  of  exploring,  you  just  ask  old  John,  and  he'll  put 
up  a  snack  for  you  to  take  along." 

And  clapping  me  in  the  friendliest  way  upon  the  shoulder,  he 
hobbled  off  forward,  and  w^ent  below. 

Captain  Smollett,  the  squire,  and  Dr.  Livesey  were  talking  to- 
gether on  the  quarter-deck;  and,  anxious  as  I  was  to  tell  them  my 
story,  I  durst  not  interrupt  them  openly.  While  I  was  still  casting 
about  in  my  thoughts  to  find  some  probable  excuse.  Dr.  Livesey 
called  me  to  his  side.  He  had  left  his  pipe  below,  and  being  a  slave 
to  tobacco,  had  meant  that  I  should  fetch  it;  but  as  soon  as  I  was 
near  enough  to  speak  and  not  be  overheard,  I  broke  out  immediate- 
ly: "Doctor,  let  me  speak.  Get  the  captain  and  squire  down  to 
the  cabin,  and  then  make  some  pretense  to  send  for  me.  I  have 
terrible  news." 

The  doctor  changed  countenance  a  little,  but  next  moment  he  was 
master  of  himself. 

"  Thank  you,  Jim, "  said  he,  quite  loudly,  "  that  was  all  I  wanted 
to  know,"  as  if  he  had  asked  me  a  question. 

And  with  that  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  rejoined  the  other  two. 
They  spoke  together  for  a  little,  and  though  none  of  them  started, 
or  raised  his  voice,  or  so  much  as  whistled,  it  was  plain  enough  that 
Dr.  Livesey  had  communicated  my  request;  for  the  next  thing  that 
I  heard  was  the  captain  giving  an  order  tn  .Tob  Anderson,  and  aU 
iands  were  piped  on  deck. 


56  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

"  My  lads,"  said  Captain  Smollett,  "I've  a  word  to  say  to  you. 
This  land  that  we  have  sighted  is  the  place  we  have  been  sailing  to. 
Mr.  Trelawney,  being  a  very  open  handed  gentleman,  as  we  all 
know,  has  just  asked  me  a  word  or  two,  and  as  I  was  able  to  tell 
him  that  every  man  on  board  had  done  his  duty,  alow  and  aloft,  as 
I  never  ask  to  see  it  done  better,  why,  he  and  I  and  the  doctor  are 
going  below  to  the  cabin  to  drink  your  health  and  luck,  and  you'll 
have  grog  served  out  for  you  to  drink  our  health  and  luck.  I'll  tell 
you  what  1  Ihiuk  of  this:  I  think  it  handsome.  And  if  you  think 
as  I  do,  you'll  give  a  good  sea  cheer  for  the  gentleman  that  does  it." 

The  cheer  followed— that  was  a  matter  of  course;  but  it  rang  out 
so  full  and  hearty,  that  I  confess  1  could  hardly  believe  these  same 
men  w^ere  plotting  for  our  blood. 

"One  more  cheer  for  Cap'u  Smollett,"  cried  Long  John,  when 
the  first  had  subsided. 

And  this  also  was  given  with  a  will. 

On  the  top  of  that  the  three  gentlemen  went  below,  and  not  long 
after  word  was  sent  forward  that  Jim  Hawkins  was  wanted  in  the 
cabin. 

I  found  them  all  three  seated  round  the  table,  a  bottle  of  Spanish 
wine  and  some  raisins  before  them,  and  the  doctor  smoking  away, 
with  his  wig  on  his  lap,  and  that,  I  liuew,  was  a  sign  that  he  was 
agitated.  The  stern  window  was  open,  for  it  was  a  warm  night, 
and  you  could  see  the  moon  shining  behind  on  the  ship's  wake. 

"  Now,  Hawkins,"  said  the  squire,  "  yoxx  have  something  to  say. 
Speak  up." 

I  did  as  I  w\as  bid,  and,  as  short  as  I  could  make  it,  told  the  whole 
details  of  Silver's  conversation.  Nobody  interrupted  me  till  I  was 
done,  nor  did  any  one  of  the  three  of  them  make  so  much  as  a 
movement,  but  they  kept  their  eyes  upon  my  face  from  first  to  last. 

"  Jim,"  said  Dr.  Livesey,  "  take  a  seat." 

And  they  made  me  sit  down  at  table  beside  them,  poured  me  out 
a  glass  of  wine,  filled  my  hands  wutli  raisins,  and  all  three,  one  after 
the  other,  and  each  with  a  bow,  drank  my  good  health,  and  their 
service  to  me,  for  my  luck  and  courage. 

"Now,  captain,"  said  the  squire,  "  j'ou  were  right,  and  I  was 
wrong.     I  own  myself  an  a3S,  and  I  await  your  orders." 

"  No  more  an  ass  than  I,  sir,"  returned  the'jcaptain.  "  I  never 
heard  of  a  crew  that  meant  to  mutiny  but  what  showed  signs  before, 
for  any  man  that  had  an  eye  in  his  head  to  see  the  mischief  and  take 
steps  according.     But  this  crew,"  he  added,  "  beats  me." 


TREASUKE    ISLAND.  57 

"  Captain,"  said  the  doctor,  "  with  your  permission,  tliat's  Silver. 
A.  very  remarkable  man." 

"  He'd  look  remarkably  well  from  a  yard-arm,  sir,"  returned  the 
captain.  "  But  this  is  talk;  this  don't  lead  to  anything.  I  see 
three  or  four  points,  and  with  Mr.  Trelawney's  permission  I'll  name 
them." 

"  You,  sir,  are  the  captain,  it  is  for  you  to  speak,"  says  Mr. 
Trelawney,  grandly. 

"  First  point,"  began  Mr.  Smollett.  "  We  must  go  on  because 
we  can't  turn  back.  If  I  give  the  word  to  turn  about  they  would 
rise  at  once.  Second  point,  we  have  time  before  us — at  least  until 
this  treasure's  found.  Third  point,  there  are  faithful  hands.  Now, 
sir,  it's  got  to  come  to  blows  sooner  or  later;  and  what  I  propose  is 
to  take  time  by  the  forelock,  as  the  saying  is,  and  come  to  blows 
some  fine  day  when  they  least  expect  it.  We  can  count,  I  take  it, 
on  your  own  home  servants,  Mr.  Trelawney?" 

"  As  upon  myself,"  declaimed  the  squire. 

"Three,"  reckoned  the  captain;  "ourselves  make  seven,  count- 
ing Hawkins  here.     Now  about  the  honest  hands?" 

*'  Most  likely  Trelawney's  own  men,"  said  the  doctor;  "  those  he 
picked  up  for  himself  before  he  lit  on  Silver." 

"  Nay,"  replied  the  squire,  "  Hands  was  one  of  mine." 

"  I  did  think  I  could  have  trusted  Hands,"  added  the  captain. 

"And  to  think  that  they're  all  Englishmen!"  broke  out  the 
B^uire.     "  Sir,  I  could  find  it  in  my  heart  to  blow  the  ship  up." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,"  said  the  captain,  "  the  best  that  I  can  say  is 
not  much.  We  must  iay  to,  if  you  please,  and  keep  a  bright  look- 
out. It's  trying  on  a  man,  I  know.  It  would  be  pleasanter  to  come 
to  blows.  But  there's  no  help  for  it  till  we  know  our  men.  Lay 
to,  and  whistle  for  a  wind,  that's  my  view." 

"  Jim  here,"  said  the  doctor,  "  can  help  us  more  than  any  one. 
The  men  are  not  shy  with  him,  and  Jim  is  a  noticing  lad." 

"  Hawkins,  I  put  prodigious  faith  in  you,"  added  the  squire. 

T  began  to  feel  pretty  desperate  at  this,  for  I  felt  altogether  help- 
less; and  yet,  by  an  odd  train  of  circumstances,  it  was  indeed 
through  me  that  safety  came.  In  the  meantime,  talk  as  we 
pleased,  there  were  only  seven  out  of  the  twenty-six  on  whom  we 
knew  we  could  rely;  and  out  of  these  seven  one  was  a  boy,  so  that 
the  grown  men  on  our  side  were  six  to  their  nineteen. 


58  TEEASUKE    ISLAND. 


PART  III. 
MT  SHORE  ADVENTURE. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HOW  I  BEGAN  MY  SHORE  ADVENTURE. 

The  appearance  of  the  island  when  I  came  on  deck  next  morn- 
ing  was  altogether  changed.  Although  the  breeze  had  now  utterly 
failed,  we  had  made  a  great  deal  of  way  during  the  night,  and  were 
now  lying  becalmed  about  half  a  mile  to  the  south-east  of  the  low 
eastern  coast.  Gray-colored  woods  covered  a  large  part  of  the  sur- 
face. This  even  tint  was  indeed  broken  up  by  streaks  of  yellow 
sand-break  in  the  lower  lands,  and  by  many  tall  trees  of  the  pine 
family,  out-topping  the  others — some  singly,  some  in  clumps;  but 
the  general  coloring  was  uniform  and  sad.  The  hills  ran  up  clear 
above  the  vegetation  in  spires  of  naked  rock.  All  were  strangely 
shaped,  and  the  Spy-glass,  which  was  by  three  or  four  hundred  feet 
the  tallest  on  the  island,  was  likewise  the  strangest  in  configuration, 
running  up  sheer  from  almost  every  side,  and  Ihen  suddenly  cut  off 
at  the  top  like  a  pedestal  to  put  a  statue  on. 

The  "  Hispaniola "  was  rolling  scuppers  under  in  the  ocean 
swell.  The  booms  were  tearing  at  the  blocks,  the  rudder  was  bang- 
ing to  and  fro,  and  the  whole  ship  creaking,  groaning,  and  jumping 
like  a  manufactory.  I  had  to  cling  tight  to  the  backstay,  and  the 
world  turned  giddily  before  my  eyes;  for  though  I  was  a  good 
enough  sailor  when  there  was  way  on,  this  standing  still  and  being 
rolled  about  like  a  bottle  was  a  thing  I  never  learned  to  stand  with- 
out a  qualm  or  so,  above  all  in  the  morning,  on  an  empty  stomach. 

Perhaps  it  was  this — perhaps  it  was  the  look  of  the  island,  with 
its  gray,  melancholy  woods,  and  wild  slone  spires,  and  the  surf  that 
we  could  both  see  and  hear  foaming  and  thundering  on  the  steep 
beach — at  least,  althcugh  the  sun  shone  bright  and  hot,  and  the 
shore  birds  were  fishing  and  crying  all  around  us,  and  you  would  liave 
thought  any  one  would  have  been  glad  to  get  to  land  after  being  so 
long  at  sea,  my  heart  sunk,  as  the  saying  is,  into  my  boots;  and  from 
that  first  look  onward,  1  hated  the  very  thought  of  Treasure  Isiand. 

We  had  a  dreary  morning's  work  before  us,  tor  there  was  no  sign 
of  any  wind,  and  the  boats  had  to  be  got  out  and  manned,  and  llie 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  58 

ship  warped  three  or  four  miles  round  the  corner  of  the  island,  and 
up  the  narrow  passage  to  the  haven  behind  Skeleton  Island.  I 
volunteered  for  one  of  the  boats,  where  I  had,  of  course,  no  busi- 
ness. The  heat  was  sweltering,  and  the  men  grumbled  fiercely  over 
their  work.  Anderson  was  in  command  of  my  boat,  and  instead  of 
keeping  the  crew  in  order,  he  grumbled  as  loud  as  the  worst. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  with  an  oath,  "  it's  not  forever." 

I  thought  this  was  a  very  bad  sign;  for,  up  to  that  day,  the  men 
had  gone  briskly  and  willingly  about  their  business;  but  the  very 
sight  of  the  island  had  relaxed  the  cords  of  disciplhie. 

All  the  way  in.  Long  John  stood  by  the  steersman  and  conned 
the  ship.  He  knew  the  passage  like  the  palm  of  his  hand;  and 
though  the  man  in  the  chains  got  everywhere  more  water  than  was 
down  in  the  chart,  John  never  hesitated  once. 

"  There's  a  strong  scour  with  the  ebb,"  he  said,  "  and  this  here 
passage  has  been  dug  out,  in  a  manner  of  speaking,  with  a  spade." 

We  brought  up  just  where  the  anchor  was  in  the  chart,  about  a 
third  of  a  mile  from  either  shore,  the  mainland  on  one  side,  and 
Skeleton  Island  on  the  other.  The  bottom  was  clean  sand.  The 
plunge  of  our  anchor  sent  up  clouds  of  birds  wheeling  and  crying 
over  the  woods;  but  in  less  than  a  minute  they  were  all  down  again, 
and  all  was  once  more  silent. 

The  place  was  entirely  land-locked,  buried  in  woods,  the  trees 
coming  right  down  to  high  water  mark,  the  shores  mostly  flat,  and 
the  hill-tops  standing  round  at  a  distance  in  a  sort  of  amphitheater, 
one  here,  one  there.  Two  little  rivers,  or,  rather,  two  swamps, 
emptied  out  into  this  pond,  as  you  might  call  it;  and  the  foliage 
round  that  part  of  the  shore  had  a  kind  of  poisonous  brightness. 
From  the  ship,  we  could  see  nothing  of  the  house  or  stockade,  for 
they  were  quite  buried  among  trees;  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
chart  on  the  companion,  we  might  have  been  the  first  that  had  ever 
anchored  there  since  the  island  arose  out  cf  the  seas. 

There  was  not  a  breath  of  air  moving,  nor  a  sound  but  that  of  the 
surf  booming  half  a  mile  away  along  the  beaches  and  against  the 
rocks  outside.  A  peculiar  stagnant  smell  hung  over  the  anchorage 
—a  smell  of  sodden  leaves  and  rotten  tree  trunks.  I  observed  the 
doctor  sniffing  and  sniSing,  like  some  one  tasting  a  bad  egg. 

"  I  don't  know  about  treasure,"  he  said,  "  but  I'll  stake  my  wig 
there's  fever  here." 

If  the  conduct  of  the  men  had  been  alarming  in  the  boat,  it  be* 
came  truly  threatening  when  they  had  come  aboard.  They  laj 
about  the  deck  growling  together  in  talk.    The  slightest  order  was 


iiO  I'iiEASURB    18ULND. 

received  with  a  black  look,  and  grudgingly  and  carelessly  obeyed 
Even  the  honest  hands  must  have  caught  the  infection,  for  therwi 
was  not  one  man  aboard  to  mend  another.  Mutiny,  it  was  plain... 
hung  over  us  like  a  thimder-cloud. 

And  it  was  not  only  we  of  the  cabin  party  who  perceived  the 
danger.  Long  John  was  hard  at  work  going  from  group  to  group, 
spending  himself  in  good  advice,  and  as  for  example  no  man  could 
have  shown  a  better,  tie  fairly  outstripped  himself  in  willingness 
and  civility;  he  was  all  smiles  to  every  one.  If  an  order  were  given, 
John  would  be  on  his  crutch  in  an  instant,  with  the  cheeriest  "  Ay, 
ay,  sir  I"  in  the  world;  and  when  there  was  nothing  else  to  do,  he  kept 
up  one  song  after  another,  as  if  to  conceal  the  discontent  of  the  rest. 

Of  all  the  gloomy  features  of  that  gloomy  afternoon,  this  obvious 
anxiety  on  the  part  of  Long  John  appeared  the  worst. 

We  held  a  council  in  the  cabin. 

"  Sir,"  said  the  captain,  "  if  I  risk  another  order,  the  whole  ship'U 
come  about  our  ears  by  the  run.  You  see,  sir,  here  it  is.  I  get 
a  rough  answer,  do  I  not?  Well,  if  I  speak  back,  pikes  will  be 
going  in  two  shakes;  if  I  don't.  Silver  will  see  there's  something 
under  that,  and  the  game's  up.   Now,  we've  only  one  man  to  rely  on." 

"  And  who  is  that?"  asked  the  squire. 

"  Silver,  sir,"  returned  the  captain;  "  he's  as  anxious  as  you  and 
I  to  smother  things  up.  This  is  a  tiff;  he'd  soon  talk  'em  out  of  it 
if  he  had  the  chance,  and  what  I  propose  to  do  is  to  give  him  tho 
chance.  Let's  allow  the  men  an  afternoon  ashore.  If  they  all  go, 
why,  we'll  fight  the  ship.  If  they  none  of  them  go,  well,  then,  wo 
hold  the  cabin,  and  God  defend  the  right.  If  some  go,  you  mark 
my  words,  sir.  Silver '11  bring  'em  aboard  again  as  mild  as  lambs." 

It  was  so  decided;  loaded  pistols  were  served  out  to  all  the  sure 
men;  Hunter,  Joyce,  and  Redruth  were  taken  into  our  confidence, 
and  received  the  news  with  less  surprise  and  a  better  spirit  than  we  had 
looked  for,  and  then  the  captain  went  on  deck  and  addressed  the  crew. 

*'  My  lads,"  said  he,  "  we've  had  a  hot  day,  and  are  all  tired  and 
out  of  sorts.  A  turn  ashore'll  hurt  nobody— the  boats  are  still  in 
the  water;  you  can  take  the  gigs,  and  as  many  as  please  can  go  ashore 
for  the  afternoon.     I'll  fire  a  gun  half  an  hour  before  sundown. " 

I  believe  the  silly  fellows  must  iiave  thought  they  would  break 
Iheir  shins  over  the  treasure  as  soon  as  they  were  landed;  for  they 
all  came  out  of  their  sulks  in  a  moment,  and  gave  a  cheer  that  start- 
ed the  echo  in  a  far-away  hill,  and  sent  the  birds  once  more  flying 
and  squalling  round  the  anchorage. 

Tho  captain  was  too  bright  to  be  in  the  way.    He  whipped  out  of 


TEEASTJEE    ISLAND.  61 

eight  fn  a  moment,  leaving  Silver  to  arrange  the  party;  and  I  fancy 
it  was  as  well  he  did  so.  Had  he  been  on  deck,  he  could  no  »onger 
80  much  as  have  pretended  not  to  understand  the  situation.  It  was 
as  plain  as  daJ^  Silver  was  the  captain,  and  a  mighty  rebellious 
crew  he  had  of  it.  The  honest  hands — and  I  was  soon  to  see  it 
proved  that  there  were  such  on  board — must  have  been  very  stupid 
fellows.  Or,  rather,  I  suppose  the  truth  was  this:  that  all  hands 
were  disafEected  by  the  example  of  the  ringleaders — only  some 
more,  some  less;  and  a  few,  being  good  fellows  in  the  main,  could 
neither  be  led  nor  driven  any  further.  It  is  one  thing  to  be  idle 
and  skulk,  and  quite  another  to  take  a  ship  and  murder  a  number 
of  innocent  men. 

At  last,  however, the  party  was  made  up.  Six  fellows  were  to  stay  on 
board,  and  the  remaining  thirteen,  including  Silver,  began  to  embark. 

Then  it  was  that  there  came  into  my  head  the  first  of  the  mad 
notions  that  contributed  so  much  to  save  our  lives.  If  six  men  were 
left  by  Silver,  it  was  plain  our  party  could  not  lake  and  fight  the 
ship:  and  since  only  six  were  left,  it  was  equally  plain  that  the  cabin 
party  had  no  present  need  of  my  assistance.  It  occurred  to  me  at  once 
to  go  ashore.  In  a  jiffy  1  had  slipped  over  the  side,  and  curled  up 
in  the  fore-sheets  of  the  nearest  boat,  and  almost  at  the  same  mo- 
ment she  shoved  off. 

No  one  took  notice  of  me,  only  the  bow  oar  saying,  "  Is  that  you, 
Jim?  Keep  your  head  down."  But  Silver,  from  the  other  boat, 
looked  sharply  over  and  called  out  to  know  if  that  were  me;  and 
from  that  moment  I  began  to  regret  what  I  had  done. 

The  crews  raced  for  the  beach;  but  the  boat  I  was  in,  having  some 
start,  and  being  at  once  the  lighter  and  the  better  manned,  shot  far 
ahead  of  her  consort,  and  the  bow  had  struck  among  the  shore-side 
trees,  and  I  had  caught  a  branch  and  swung  myself  out,  and  plunged 
into  the  nearest  thicket,  while  Silver  and  the  rest  were  stili  a  hun- 
dred yards  behind. 

"  Jim,  Jim!"  I  heard  him  shouting. 

But  you  may  suppose  I  paid  no  heed;  jumping,  ducking,  and  break 
ing  through,  I  ran  straight  before  my  nose,  till  I  could  run  no  longer. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

•THE    FIRST    BLOW. 

I  WAS  SO  pleased  at  having  given  the  slip  to  Long  John,  that  I 
began  to  enjoy  myself  and  look  around  me  with  some  interest  on 
the  strange  land  that  I  was  in. 

I  had  crossed  a  marshy  tract  full  of  wiliows,  bulrushes,  and  odd 


63  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

outlandish,  swampy  trees;  and  I  had  now  come  out  upon  the  skirte 
of  an  open  piece  of  undulating,  sandy  country,  about  a  mile  long, 
dotted  with  a  few  pines,  and  a  great  number  of  contorted  trees,  not 
unlike  the  oak  in  growth,  but  pale  in  the  foliage,  like  willows.  On 
the  far  side  of  the  open  stood  one  of  the  hills,  with  two  quaint, 
craggy  peaks,  shining  vividly  in  the  sun. 

I  now  felt  for  the  first  time  the  joy  of  exploration.  The  isle  was 
uninhabited;  my  shipmates  I  had  left  behind,  and  nothing  lived  in 
front  of  me  but  dumb  brutes  and  fowls.  I  turned  hither  and 
thither  among  the  trees.  Here  and  there  were  flowering  plants, 
unknown  to  me;  here  and  there  I  saw  snakes,  and  one  raised  his 
head  from  a  ledge  of  a  rock  and  hissed  at  me  with  a  noise  not  un- 
like the  spinning  of  a  top.  Little  did  I  suppose  that  he  was  a  deadly 
enemy,  and  that  the  noise  was  the  famous  rattle. 

Then  I  came  to  a  long  thicket  of  these  oak-like  trees — live,  or 
evergreen,  oaks,  I  heard  afterward  they  should  be  called — which 
grew  low  along  the  sand  like  brambles,  tUe  boughs  curiously'  twist- 
ed, the  foliage  compact,  like  thatch.  The  thicket  stretched  down 
from  the  top  one  of  the  sandy  knolls,  spreading  and  growing  taller 
as  it  went,  until  it  reached  the  margin  of  the  broad,  reedy  fen, 
through  which  the  nearest  of  the  little  rivers  soaked  its  way  into  the 
anchorage.  The  marsh  was  steaming  in  the  strong  sun,  and  the 
outline  of  the  Spy-glass  trembled  through  the  haze. 

All  at  once  there  began  to  go  a  sort  of  bustle  among  the  bul 
rushes;  a  wild  duck  flew  up  with  a  quack,  another  followed,  and 
soon  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  marsh  a  great  cloud  of  birds 
hung  screaming  and  circling  in  the  air.  I  judged  at  once  that  some 
of  my  shipmates  must  be  drawing  near  along  the  borders  of  the  fen. 
Nor  was  I  deceived;  for  soon  I  heard  the  very  distant  and  low  tones 
of  a  human  voice,  which,  as  I  continued  to  give  ear,  grew  steadily 
louder  and  nearer. 

This  put  me  in  great  fear,  and  I  crawled  under  co^^er  of  the  near- 
est live-oak,  and  squatted  there,  hearkening,  as  silent  as  a  mouse. 

Another  voice  answered;  and  then  the  first  voice,  which  I  now 
recognized  to  be  Silver's,  once  more  took  up  the  story,  and  ran  on 
for  a  long  while  in  a  stream,  onlj^  now  and  again  interrupted  by  the 
other.  By  the  sound  they  must  have  been  talking  earnestly,  and 
almost  fiercely;  but  no  distinct  word  came  to  my  hearing. 

At  last  the  speakers  seemed  to  have  paused,  and  perhaps  to  have 
sat  down;  for  not  only  did  they  cease  to  draw  any  nearer,  but  the 
birds  themselves  began  to  grow  more  quiet,  and  to  settle  again  to 
tiieir  places  in  the  swamp. 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  63 

And  now  I  began  to  feel  that  I  was  neglecting  my  business;  that 
since  I  bad  been  so  foolhardy  as  to  come  ashore  with  these  des- 
peradoes, the  least  I  could  do  was  to  overhear  them  at  their  coun- 
cils; and  that  my  plain  and  obvious  duty  was  to  draw  as  close  as  I 
could  manage,  under  the  favorable  ambush  of  the  crouching  trees. 

I  could  tell  the  direction  of  the  speakers  pretty  exactly,  not  only 
by  the  sound  of  their  voices,  but  by  the  behavior  of  the  few  birds 
that  still  hung  in  alarm  above  the  heads  of  the  intruders. 

Crawling  on  all-fours,  I  made  steadily  but  slowly  toward  them; 
till  at  last,  raising  my  head  to  an  aperture  among  the  leaves,  I  could 
see  clear  down  into  a  little  green  dell  beside  the  marsh,  and  closely 
Bet  about  with  trees,  where  Long  John  Silver  and  another  of  the 
crew  stood  face  to  face  in  conversation. 

The  sun  beat  full  upon  them.  Silver  had  thrown  his  hat  beside 
him  ou  the  ground,  and  his  great,  smooth,  blonde  face,  all  shining 
with  heat,  was  lifted  to  the  other  man's  in  a  kind  of  appeal. 

"  Mate,"  he  was  saying,  "  it's  because  I  thinks  gold-dust  of  you 
— gold-dust,  and  you  may  lay  to  thati  If  I  hadn't  took  to  you  like 
pitch,  do  you  think  I'd  have  been  here  a- warning  of  you?  All's  up 
— you  can't  make  nor  mend;  it's  to  save  your  neck  that  I'ma-speak- 
ing,  and  if  one  of  the  wild  'uns  knew  it,  where  'ud  1  be,  Tom^- 
now,  tell  me,  where  'ud  I  be?" 

"  Silver,*'  eaid  the  otiier  man — and  I  observed  he  was  not  only 
red  in  the  face,  but  spoke  as  hoarse  as  a  crow,  and  his  voice  shook, 
too,  like  a  taut  rope — "  Silver,"  says  he,  "you're  old,  and  you're 
honest,  or  has  the  name  for  it;  and  you've  money,  too,  which  lots 
of  poor  sailors  hasn't;  and  you're  brave,  or  I'm  mistook.  And 
will  you  tell  me  you'll  let  yourself  be  led  away  with  that  kind  of  a 
mess  of  swabs?  not  you!  As  sure  as  God  sees  me,  I'd  sooner  lose 
my  hand.     If  I  turn  agin  my  dooty — " 

And  then  all  of  a  sudden  he  was  interrupted  by  a  noise.  I  had 
found  one  of  the  honest  hands — well,  here,  at  that  same  moment, 
came  news  of  another.  Far  away  out  in  the  marsh  there  arose,  all 
of  a  sudden,  a  sound  like  the  cry  of  anger,  then  another  on  the  back 
of  it,  and  then  one  horrid,  long-drawn  scream.  The  rocks  of  the 
Spy-glass  re-echoed  it  a  score  of  times;  the  whole  troop  of  marsh- 
birds  rose  again,  darkening  heaven,  with  a  simultaneous  whir;  and 
long  after  that  death  yell  was  still  ringing  in  my  brain,  silence  had 
re-established  its  empire,  and  only  the  rustle  of  the  redescending 
birds  and  tho  boom  of  the  distant  surges  disturbed  the  languor  of 
liie  afternoon, 

Tom  bad  leaped  at  the  sound,  like  a  horse  at  the  spur;  but  Silver 


34  TREASURE    I-SLAND. 

had  not  wiaked  an  eye.  He  stood  where  he  was,  resting  lightly  on 
his  crutch,  watching  his  companion  like  a  snake  about  to  spring. 

"  John!"  said  the  sailor,  stretching  out  his  hand. 

*'  Hands  offl"  cried  Silver,  leaping  back  a  yard,  as  it  seemed  to 
me,  with  the  speed  and  security  of  a  trained  gymnast. 

"  Hands  off,  if  3'ou  like,  John  Silver,"  said  the  other.  "  It's  a 
black  conscience  that  can  make  you  feared  of  me.  But,  in  Heaven's 
name,  tell  me  what  was  that?" 

"  That?"  returned  Silver,  smiling  away,  but  warier  than  ever, 
his  eye  a  mere  pin-point  in  his  l)ig  face,  but  gleaming  like  a  crumb 
of  glass.     "  Thac?    Oh,  I  reckon  that'll  be  Alan." 

And  at  this  poor  Tom  flashed  out  like  a  hero. 

"  Alan!"  he  cried.  "  Then  rest  his  soul  for  a  true  seaman!  And 
as  for  you,  John  Silver,  long  you've  been  a  mate  of  mine,  but 
you're  mate  of  mine  no  more.  If  I  die  like  a  dog,  I'll  die  in  my 
dooty.  You've  killed  Alan,  have  you?  Kill  me,  too,  if  you  can. 
But  I  defies  j'ou." 

And  with  that,  this  brave  fellow  turned  his  back  directly  on  the 
cook,  and  set  off  walking  for  the  beach.  But  he  was  not  destined 
to  go  far.  With  a  cry,  John  seized  the  branch  of  a  tree,  whipped 
the  crutch  out  of  his  armpit,  and  sent  that  uncouth  missile  hurtling 
through  the  air.  It  struck  poor  Tom,  point  foremost,  and  with 
stunning  violence,  right  between  the  shoulders  in  the  middle  of  his 
back.     His  hands  flew  up,  he  gave  a  sort  of  gasp,  and  fell. 

Whether  he  was  injured  much  or  little,  none  could  ever  tell. 
Like  enough,  to  judge  from  the  sound,  his  back  was  broken  on  the 
spot.  But  he  had  no  time  given  him  to  recover.  Silver,  agile  as  a 
monkey,  even  without  leg  or  crutcii,  was  on  the  top  of  him  next 
moment,  and  had  twice  buried  his  knife  up  to  the  hilt  in  that  de- 
fenseless body.  From  my  place  of  ambush,  I  could  hear  him  pant 
aloud  as  he  struck  the  blows. 

I  do  not  know  what  it  rightly  is  to  faint,  but  I  do  know  that  for 
the  next  little  while  the  whole  world  swam  away  from  befoie  me  in 
a  whirling  mist;  Silver  and  the  birds,  and  the  tall  Spy-glass  hill- 
top, going  round  and  round  and  topsy-turvy  before  my  e^'es,  and 
all  manner  of  bells  ringing  and  distant  voices  shouting  in  my  ear. 

AVhen  I  came  again  to  mj'self,  the  monster  had  pulled  himself 
together,  his  crutch  under  his  arm,  his  hat  upon  his  head.  Just 
before  him  Tom  lay  motionless  upon  the  sward;  but  the  murderer 
minded  him  not  a  whit,  cleansing  his  blood  stained  knife  the  while 
upon  a  wisp  of  grass.  Everything  else  was  unchanged,  the  sun  still 
ghining  mercilessly  on  the  steaming  marsh  and  the  tall  pinnacle  of 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  65 

the  mountain,  and  I  could  scarce  persuade  myself  that  murder  had 
actually  been  done,  and  a  human  life  cruelly  cut  short  a  moment 
since,  before  my  eyes. 

But  now  John  put  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  brought  out  a  whis- 
tle, and  blew  upon  it  several  modulated  blasts,  that  rang  far  across 
the  heated  air.  I  could  not  tell,  of  course,  the  meaning  of  the  sig- 
nal; but  it  instantly  awoke  my  fears.  More  men  would  be  coming. 
I  might  be  discovered.  They  liad  already  slain  two  of  the  honest 
people;  after  Tom  and  Alan,  mighl  not  I  come  next? 

Instantly  I  began  to  extricate  mj^self  and  crawl  back  again,  with 
what  speed  and  silence  I  could  manage,  to  the  more  open  portion 
of  the  wood.  As  1  did  so,  I  could  hear  hails  coming  and  going  be- 
tween the  old  buccaneer  and  his  comrades,  and  this  sound  of  danger 
lent  me  wings.  As  soon  as  I  was  clear  of  the  thicket,  I  ran  as  I 
never  ran  before,  scarce  minding  the  direction  of  my  flight,  so  long 
as  it  led  me  from  the  murderers;  and  as  I  ran,  fear  grew  and  grew 
ujwn  me,  until  it  turned  Into  a  kind  of  frenzy. 

Indijed,  could  any  one  be  more  entirely  lost  than  I?  When  the 
gun  fired,  how  should  I  dare  to  go  down  to  the  boats  among  those 
fiends,  still  smoking  from  their  crime?  Would  not  the  first  of  them 
who  saw  me  wring  my  neck  like  a  snipe's?  Would  not  my  absence 
itself  be  an  evidence  to  them  of  mj^  alarm,  and  therefore  of  my 
fatal  knowledge?  It  was  all  over,  I  thought.  Good-bye  to  the 
"  Hispaniola;''  good-bye  to  the  squire,  the  doctor,  and  the  captain. 
There  was  nothing  left  for  me  but  death  by  starvation,  or  death  by 
the  hands  of  the  mutineers. 

All  this  while,  as  I  saj^  I  was  still  running,  and,  without  taking 
any  notice,  I  had  drawn  near  to  the  foot  of  the  little  hill  with  the 
two  peaks,  and  had  got  into  a  part  of  the  island  where  the  wild  oaka 
grew  more  widely  apart,  and  seemed  more  like  forest  trees  in  their 
bearing  and  dimensions.  Mingled  witU  these  were  a  few  scattered 
pines,  some  fifty,  some  nearer  seventy,  feet  high.  The  air,  too, 
smelled  more  freshly  than  down  beside  the  marsh. 

And  here  a  fresh  alarm  brought  me  (o  a  stand-still  with  a  thump- 
ing heart. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE  MAN  OF  THE  ISLAND, 

From  the  side  of  the  hill,  which  was  here  steep  and  stony,  a 
spout  of  gravel  was  dislodged,  and  fell  rattling  and  bounding 
through  the  trees.     My  eyes  turned  instinctively  in  that  direction, 


66  TREASTJRE    ISLAND. 

and  I  saw  a  figure  leap  with  great  rapidity  behind  the  trunk  of  a 
pine.  What  it  was,  whether  bear  or  man  or  monkey,  I  could  in  no 
wise  tell.  It  seemed  dark  and  shaggy;  more  I  knew  not.  But  the 
terror  of  this  new  apparition  brought  me  to  a  stand, 

I  was  now,  it  seemed,  cut  oif  upon  bclh  sides;  behind  me  the 
murderers,  before  me  this  lurking  nondescript.  And  immediately 
I  began  to  prefer  the  dangers  that  I  knew  to  those  I  knew  not. 
Silver  himself  appeared  less  terrible  in  contrast  with  this  creature 
of  the  woods,  and  I  turned  on  my  heel,  and,  looking  sharply  behind 
me  over  my  shoulder,  began  to  retrace  my  steps  in  the  direction  of 
the  boats. 

Instantly  the  figure  reappeared,  and,  making  a  wide  circuit,  began 
to  head  me  off.  I  was  tired,  at  any  rate;  but  had  I  been  as  fresh  as 
when  I  rose,  I  could  see  it  was  in  vain  for  me  to  contend  in  speed 
with  such  an  adversary.  From  trunk  to  trunk  the  creature  flitted 
like  a  deer,  running  man-like  on  two  legs,  but  unlike  any  man  that 
I  had  ever  seen,  stooping  almcst  double  as  it  ran.  Yet  a  man  it 
was,  I  could  no  longer  be  in  doubt  about  that. 

I  began  to  recall  what  I  had  heard  of  cannibals.  I  was  within  an 
ace  of  calling  for  help.  But  the  mere  fact  that  he  was  a  man,  how- 
ever wild,  had  somewhat  reassured  me,  and  my  fear  of  Silver  began 
to  revive  in  proportion.  I  stood  still,  therefore,  and  cast  about  for 
some  method  of  escape;  and  as  I  was  so  thinking,  the  recollection 
of  my  pistol  flashed  into  my  mind.  As  soon  as  I  remembered  I 
was  not  defenseless,  courage  glowed  again  in  my  heart;  and  I  set 
my  face  resolutely  for  this  man  of  the  island,  and  walked  briskly 
toward  him. 

He  was  concealed  by  this  time,  behind  another  tree  tniiik;  but  he 
must  have  been  watching  me  closely,  for  as  soon  as  I  began  to 
move  in  his  direction  he  reappeared  and  took  a  step  to  meet  me. 
Then  he  hesitated,  drew  back,  came  forward  again,  and  at  last,  to 
my  wonder  and  confusion,  threw  himself  on  his  knees  and  held  out 
his  clasped  hands  in  supplication. 

At  that  I  once  more  stopped. 

"  Who  are  you?"  1  asked. 

"Ben  Gunn,"  he  answered,  and  his  voice  sounded  hoarse  and 
awkward,  like  a  rusty  lock,  "  I'm  poor  Ben  Gunn,  I  am;  and  I 
haven't  spoke  with  a  Christian  these  three  years." 

I  could  now  see  that  he  was  a  Avhite  man  like  myself,  and  that 
his  features  were  even  pleasing.  His  skin,  wherever  it  was  ex- 
posed, was  burned  by  the  sun;  even  his  lips  were  black,  and  his 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  67 

fair  eyes  looked  quite  startling  in  so  dark  a  face.  Of  all  the  beg- 
gar-men that  I  had  seen  or  fancied,  he  was  the  chief  for  raggedness. 
He  was  clothed  with  tatters  of  old  ship's  canvas  and  old  sea-cloth; 
and  this  extraordinary  patchwork  was  all  held  together  by  a  system 
of  the  most  various  and  incongruous  fastenings,  brass  buttons,  bits 
of  stick,  and  loops  of  tarry  gaskin.  About  his  waist  he  wore  an 
old  brass-buckled  leather  belt,  which  was  the  one  thing  solid  iu  his 
whole  accouterment. 

"  Three  yearsl"  I  cried.     "  "Were  you  shipwrecked?" 

"  Nay,  mate,"  said  he — "  marooned." 

I  had  heard  the  word,  and  I  knew  it  stood  for  a  horrible  kind  of 
punishment  common  enough  among  the  buccaneers,  in  which  the 
offender  is  put  ashore  with  a  little  powder  and  shot,  and  left  behind 
on  some  desolate  and  distant  island. 

"Marooned  three  years  agoue,"  he  continued,  "and  lived  on 
goats  since  then,  and  berries,  and  oysters.  Wherever  a  man  is,  siys 
I,  a  man  can  do  for  himself.  But,  mate,  my  heart  is  sore  for 
Christian  diet.  You  mightn't  happen  to  have  a  piece  of  cheese 
about  you,  now?  No?  Well,  many's  the  long  night  I've  dreamed 
of  cheese — toasted,  mostly — and  woke  up  again,  and  here  I  were." 

"  If  ever  I  can  get  aboard  again,"  said  I,  "  you  shall  have  cheese 
by  the  stone." 

All  this  time  he  had  been  feeling  the  stuff  of  my  jacket,  smooth- 
ing my  hands,  looking  at  my  boots,  and  generally,  in  the  intervals 
of  his  speech,  showing  a  childish  pleasure  iu  the  presence  of  a  fel- 
low creature.  But  at  my  last  words  he  perked  up  into  a  kind  of 
startled  slyness. 

"  If  ever  you  get  aboard  again,  says  you?"  he  repeated.  *'  Why, 
now,  who's  to  hinder  you?" 

"  Not  you,  I  know,"  was  my  reply. 

"  And  right  you  was,"  he  cried.  "  Now  you— what  do  you  call 
yourself,  mate?" 

"  Jim,"  I  told  him. 

"  Jim,  Jim, "  says  he,  quite  pleased  apparently.  "Well,  now, 
Jim,  I've  lived  that  rough  as  you'd  be  ashamed  to  a  hear  of.  Now, 
for  instance,  you  wouldn't  think  I  had  had  a  pious  mother—  to  look 
at  me?"  he  asked. 

"  Why,  no,  not  in  particular,"  I  answered. 

"  Ah,  well,"  said  he,  "  but  I  had — j-cmarkable  pious.  And  I  was 
a  civil,  pious  boy,  and  could  rattle  off  my  catechism  that  fast,  as 
you  couldn't  tell  one  word  from  another.  And  here's  what  it  come 
to,  Jim,  and  it  begun  with  chuck-farthen  on  the  blessed  grave- 


68  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

stonesi  That's  what  it  begun  with,  but  it  went  further'n  that;  and 
so  my  mother  told  me,  and  piedicked  the  whole,  she  did,  the  pious 
woman.  But  it  were  Providence  that  put  me  here.  I've  thought 
it  all  out  in  ihis  here  lonely  island,  and  I'm  back  on  piety.  You 
can't  catch  me  tasting  rum  so  much;  but  just  a  thimbleful  for  luck, 
of  course,  the  lirst  chance  I  have.  I'm  bound  I'll  be  good,  and  1 
see  the  way  to.  And,  Jim  " — looking  all  round  him,  and  lowering 
his  voice  to  a  wbisper — "  I'm  rich." 

I  now  felt  sure  that  the  poor  fellow  had  gone  crazy  in  his  solitude, 
and  I  suppose  I  must  have  shown  the  feeling  in  my  face;  for  he  re- 
peated the  statement  liotly: 

"  Rich!  richi  I  says.  And  I'll  tell  j'ou  what;  I'll  make  a  man 
of  you,  Jim.  Ah,  Jim.  you'll  bless  your  stars,  you  will,  you  was 
the  first  that  found  mel" 

And  at  this  there  came  suddenly  a  lowering  shadow  over  his  face, 
and  he  tightened  his  grasp  upon  my  hand,  and  raised  a  forefinger 
threateningly  before  my  eyes. 

"  Now,  Jim,  you  tell  me  true;  that  ain'l  Flint's  ship?"  he  asked. 

At  this  I  had  a  happy  inspiration.  I  began  to  believe  that  I  had 
found  an  allj^  and  I  answered  him  at  once. 

"  It's  not  Flint's  ship,  and  Flint  is  dead;  but  I'll  tell  you  true,  as 
you  ask  me — there  are  some  of  Flint's  hands  aboard;  worse  luck 
for  the  rest  of  us." 

"  Not  a  man — with  one— leg?"  he  gasped. 

"  Silver?"  I  asked. 

*'  Ah,  Silverl"  says  he;  "  thai  were  his  name." 

"  He's  the  cook;  and  the  ringleader,  too." 

He  was  still  holding  me  by  the  wrist,  and  at  that  he  gave  il  quite 
a  wring. 

"If  you  was  sent  by  Long  John,"  he  said,  "I'm  as  good  as 
pork,  and  I  know  it.     But  where  was  j'ou,  do  you  suppose?" 

I  had  made  my  mind  up  in  a  moment,  and  by  way  of  answer  told 
him  the  whole  story  of  our  voyage,  and  the  predicament  in  which 
we  found  ourselves.  He  heard  me  with  the  keenest  interest,  and 
when  I  had  done  he  patted  me  on  the  head. 

"  You're  a  good  lad,  Jim,"  he  said;  "  and  you're  all  in  a  clove 
hitch,  ain't  you?  Well,  you  just  put  your  trust  in  Ben  Gunn — Ben 
Gunn's  the  man  to  do  it.  Would  you  think  it  likely,  now,  that 
your  squire  would  prove  a  liberal-minded  one  in  case  of  help — him 
being  in  a  clove  hitch,  as  you  remark?" 

I  told  him  the  squire  was  the  most  liberal  of  men. 
'  Ay,  but  you  see,"  returned  Ben  Gunn,  "  I  didu'l  mean  giving 


»•       treasuet:  island.  69 

me  a  gate  to  keep,  and  a  suit  of  livery  clothes,  and  such;  that's 
not  my  mark,  Jim.  "What  I  mean  is,  would  he  be  likely  to  come 
down  to  the  toon  of,  say  one  thousand  pounds  out  of  money  that's 
as  good  as  a  man's  own  already?" 

"  I  am  sure  he  would,"  said  I.  "As  it  was,  all  hands  rrere  to 
share." 

"  And  a  passage  home?"  he  added,  with  a  look  of  great  shrewd- 
ness. 

"  Why,"  I  cried,  "  the  squire's  a  gentleman.  And,  besides,  if 
we  got  rid  of  the  others,  we  should  want  you  to  help  work  the  ves- 
sel home." 

"Ah,"  said  he,  "so  you  would."  And  he  seemed  very  much 
relieved. 

"  Now,  I'll  tell  you  what,"  he  went  on.  "  So  much  1 11  tell  you, 
and  no  more.  I  were  in  Flint's  ship  when  he  buried  the  treasure; 
he  and  six  along — six  strong  seamen.  They  was  ashore  nigh  on  a 
week,  and  us  standing  oflf  and  on  in  the  old  '  Walrus.'  One  tine 
day  up  went  the  signal,  and  here  come  Flint  by  himself  in  a  little 
boat,  and  his  head  done  up  in  a  blue  scarf.  The  sun  was  getting 
up,  and  mortal  white  he  looked  about  the  cutwater.  But,  there  he 
was,  you  mind,  and  the  six  all  dead — dead  and  buried.  How  had 
he  done  it,  not  a  man  aboard  us  could  make  out.  It  was  battle, 
murder,  and  sudden  death,  leastways — him  against  six.  Billy  Bones 
was  the  mate;  Long  John,  he  was  quarter- master;  and  they  asked 
him  where  the  treasure  was.  '  Ah, '  says  he,  '  you  can  go  ashore,  if 
you  like,  and  stay,'  he  says;  '  but  as  for  the  ship,  she'll  beat  up  for 
more,  by  thunder  1'     That's  what  he  said. 

"  Well,  I  was  in  another  ship  three  years  back,  and  we  sighted 
this  island.  *  Boys,'  said  I,  '  here's  Flint's  treasure;  let's  land  and 
find  it.'  The  cap'n  was  displeased  at  that;  bul  my  messmates  were 
all  of  a  mind,  and  lauded.  Twelve  days  they  looked  for  it,  and 
every  day  they  had  the  worse  word  for  me,  until  one  fine  morning 
all  hands  went  aboard.  '  As  for  you,  Benjamin  Gunn, '  says  they, 
■  here's  a  musket,'  they  says,  '  and  a  spade,  and  pick-ax.  You  can 
stay  here,  and  find  Flint's  money  for  yourself,'  they  says. 

"  Well,  Jim,  three  years  have  I  been  here,  and  not  a  bite  of  Chris- 
tian diet  from  that  day  to  this.  But  now,  you  look  here;  look  at 
me.  Do  I  look  like  a  man  before  the  mast?  No,  says  you.  Nor  I 
weren't,  neither,  I  says." 

And  with  that  he  winked  and  pinched  me  hard. 

"  Just  you  mention  them  words  to  your  squire,  Jim  " — he  went 
on:  "Nor  he  weren't,  neither — that's  the  words.     Three  years  he 


70  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

were  the  man  of  this  island,  light  and  dark,  fair  and  rain;  and 
sometimes  he  would,  may  be,  think  upon  a  prayer  (says  you),  and 
sometimes  he  would,  may  be,  think  of  his  old  mother,  so  be  as  she's 
alive  (you'll  say);  but  the  most  part  of  Gunn's  time  (this  is  what 
you'll  say) — the  most  part  of  his  time  was  took  up  with  another 
matter.    And  then  j^ou'll  give  him  a  nip,  like  I  do." 

And  he  pinclied  me  again,  in  the  most  confidential  manner. 

"  Then,"  he  continued — "then  you'll  up,  and  you'll  say  this: 
Gunn  is  a  good  man  (you  '11  say),  and  he  puts  a  precious  sight  more 
confidence— a  precious  sight,  mind  that — in  a  gen'leman  born  than 
in  these  gen'lemen  of  fortune,  having  been  one  hisself." 

"  Well,"  I  said,  "  I  don't  understand  one  word  that  you've  been 
saying.  But  that's  neither  here  nor  there;  for  how  am  I  to  get  on 
board?" 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  "  that's  the  hitch  for  sure.  Well,  there's  my 
boat  that  1  made  with  my  two  hands.  I  keep  her  under  the  white 
rock.  If  the  worst  come  to  the  worst,  we  might  try  that  after 
dark.     HiT'.he  broke  out,  "  what  s  that?" 

For  just  then,  although  the  sun  had  still  an  hour  or  two  to  run, 
all  the  echoes  of  the  island  awoke  and  bellowed  to  the  thunder  of  a 
cannon. 

"  They  have  begun  to  fight!"  I  cried.     "  Follow  me." 

And  I  began  to  run  toward  the  anchoiage,  my  terrors  all  forgot- 
ten; while,  close  at  my  side,  the  marooned  man  in  his  goatskins 
trotted  easily  and  lightly. 

"  Left,  left,'  says  he;  "  keep  to  your  left  hand,  mate  Jim  I  Un- 
der the  trees  with  you  I  There's  where  I  killed  my  first  goat.  They 
don't  come  down  here  now;  they're  all  mastheaded  on  them  mount- 
ings for  the  fear  of  Benjamin  Gunn.  Ah!  and  there's  the  cete- 
mery  " — cemetery  he  must  have  meant.  "You  see  the  mounds? 
I  come  here  and  prayed,,  nows  and  thens,  when  I  thought  may  be  a 
Sunday  would  be  about  doo.  It  weren't  quite  a  chapel,  but  it 
seemed  more  solemn  like;  and  then,  says  you,  Benn  Gunn  was 
shorthanded — no  chapling,  nor  so  much  as  a  Bible  and  a  flag,  you 
says." 

So  he  kept  talking  as  I  ran,  neither  expecting  nor  receiving  any 
answer. 

The  cannon-shot  was  followed,  after  a  considerable  interval,  by  a 
volley  of  small  arms. 

Another  pause,  and  then,  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  front  of  me, 
I  beheld  the  Union  Jack  flutter  in  the  air  above  a  wood. 


IREASUliE    ISLAND.  71 


PART  IV. 
THE  BTOGKADE. 


CHAPTER  XVL 

NAKKATIVE    CONTrNTJED    BY    THE    DOCTOR:  HOW    THE    SHIP    WAS 
ABANDONED. 

It  was  about  half  past  one — three  bells  in  the  sea  phrase — that 
the  two  boats  went  ashore  from  the  "  Hispaniola. "  The  captain, 
the  squire,  and  I  were  talking  matters  over  in  the  cabin.  Had  there 
been  a  breath  of  wind,  we  should  have  fallen  on  the  six  mutineers 
who  were  left  aboard  with  us,  slipped  our  cable,  and  away  to  sea. 
But  the  wind  was  wanting;  and,  to  complete  our  helplessness, 
down  came  Hunter  with  the  nevk's  that  Jim  Hawkins  had  slipped 
into  a  boat  and  was  gone  ashore  with  the  rest. 

It  had  never  occurred  to  us  to  doubt  Jim  Hawkins;  but  we  were 
alarmed  for  his  safety.  With  the  men  in  the  temper  they  were  in, 
it  seemed  an  even  chance  if  we  should  see  the  lad  again.  We  ran 
on  deck.  The  pitch  was  bubbling  in  the  seams;  the  nasty  stench  of 
the  place  turned  me  sick;  if  evera  mansniftUed  fever  and  dysentery, 
it  was  in  that  abominable  anchorage.  The  six  scoundrels  were 
sitting  grumbling  under  a  sail  in  the  forecastle;  ashore  we  could 
see  the  gigs  made  fast,  and  a  maa  sitting  in  each,  hard  by  where 
the  river  runs  in.     One  of  them  was  whistling  "  Lillibullero." 

Waiting  was  a  strain;  and  it  was  decided  that  Hunter  and  I 
should  go  ashore  with  the  jolly-boat,  in  quest  of  information. 

The  gigs  had  leaned  to  their  right;  but  Hunter  and  I  pulled 
straight  in,  in  the  direction  of  the  stockade  upon  the  chart.  The 
two  who  were  left  guarding  their  boats  seemed  in  a  bustle  at  our 
appearance;  "Lillibullero"  stopped  off,  and  I  could  see  the  pair 
discussing  what  they  ought  to  do.  Had  they  gone  and  told  Silver, 
all  might  have  turned  out  differently;  but  they  had  their  orders,  I 
suppose,  and  decided  to  sit  quietly  where  they  were  and  hark  back 
again  to  "  Lillibullero." 

There  was  a  slight  bend  in  the  coast,  and  I  steered  so  as  to  put  it 
between  us,  even  before  we  landed  we  had  thus  lost  sight  of  the 


72  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

gigs.  I  3um];)cd  out,  and  came  as  near  running  as  I  durst,  with  a 
big  silk  handkerchief  under  my  hat  for  coolness'  sake,  and  a  brace 
of  pistols  ready  primed  for  safety. 

I  had  not  gone  a  hundred  yards  when  I  came  on  the  stockade. 

This  was  how  it  was;  a  spring  of  clear  water  rose  almost  at  the 
top  of  a  knoll  Well,  on  the  knoll,  and  inclosing  the  spring,  they 
had  clapped  a  stout  log-house,  fit  to  hold  two  score  people  on  a 
pinch,  and  loop-holed  for  musketry  on  every  side.  All  round  this 
tliey  had  cleared  a  wide  space,  and  then  the  thing  was  completed  by 
a  paling  six  feet  high,  without  door  or  opening,  too  strong  to  pull 
down  without  time  and  labor,  and  too  open  to  shelter  the  besiegers. 
The  people  in  the  log-house  had  them  in  every  way;  they  stood 
quiet  in  shelter  and  shot  the  others  like  partridges.  All  they 
wanted  was  a  good  watch  and  food;  for,  short  of  a  complete  sur- 
prise, they  might  have  held  the  place  against  a  regiment. 

What  particularly  took  my  fancy  was  the  spring.  For,  though 
we  had  a  good  enough  place  of  it  in  the  cabin  of  the  "  Hispaniola," 
with  plenty  of  arms  and  ammunition,  and  things  to  eat,  and  ex- 
cellent wines,  there  had  been  one  thing  overlooked — we  had  no 
water.  I  was  thinking  this  over,  when  there  came  ringing  over 
the  island  the  cry  of  a  man  at  the  p  dnt  of  death.  I  was  not  new 
to  violent  death — I  have  served  his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland,  and  got  a  wound  myself  at  Fontenoy — but  I  know 
my  pulse  went  dot  and  carry  one.  "  Jim  Hawidns  is  gone,"  was 
my  first  thought. 

It  is  something  to  have  been  an  old  soldier,  but  more  still  to  have 
been  a  doctor.  There  is  no  time  to  dilly-dally  in  our  work.  And 
so  now  I  made  up  my  mind  instantl}^  and  with  no  time  lost  returned 
to  the  shore,  and  jumped  on  board  the  jolly-boat. 

By  good  fortune  Hunter  pulled  a  good  oar.  We  made  the  water 
fly;  and  the  boat  was  soon  alongside,  and  I  aboard  the  schooner. 

I  found  them  all  shaken,  as  was  natural.  The  squire  was  sitting 
down,  as  white  as  a  sheet,  thinking  of  the  harm  he  had  led  us  to, 
the  good  soul!  and  one  of  the  six  forecastle  hands  was  little  better. 

"There's  a  man,"  said  Captain  Smollett,  nodding  toward  him, 
"  new  to  this  work.  He  came  nigh-hand  fainting,  doctor,  when  he 
heard  the  cry.  Another  touch  of  the  rudder  and  that  man  would 
join  us." 

I  told  my  plan  to  the  captain,  and  between  us  we  settled  on  the 
details  of  its  accomplishment, 

We  put  old  Redruth  in  the  gallery  between  the  cabin  and  the 
forecastle,  with  three  or  four  loaded  muskets  and  a  mattress  for 


TREASURE    ISLAN-D.  73 

protection.  Hunter  brouglil  the  lioat  round  under  the  stem-port, 
and  Joyce  and  I  set  to  work  loading  her  with  powder  tins,  muskets, 
bags  of  biscuits,  kegs  of  pork,  a  cask  of  cognac,  and  my  invaluable 
medicine  chest. 

In  the  meantime,  the  squire  and  the  captain  stayed  on  deck,  and 
tlu  latter  hailed  the  cockswain,  who  was  the  principal  man  aboard. 
•'  Mr.  Hands,"  he  said,  "  here  are  two  of  us  with  a  brace  of  pis- 
tols each.     If  any  one  of  you  six  make  a  signal  of  any  description, 
that  man's  dead." 

They  were  a  good  deal  taken  aback;  and,  after  a  little  consulta 
lion,  one  and  all  tumbled  down  the  fore  companion,  thinking,  no 
doubt,  to  take  us  on  the  rear.  But  when  they  saw  Redruth  waiting 
for  them  in  the  sparred  gallery,  they  went  about  ship  at  once,  and 
a  head  popped  out  again  deck. 
"  Down,  dog!"  cries  the  captain. 

And  the  head  popped  back  again;  and  we  heard  no  more,  for  the 
time,  of  these  six  very  fainthearted  seamen. 

By  this  time,  tumbling  things  in  as  they  came,  we  had  the  jolly- 
boat  loaded  as  much  as  we  dared.  Joyce  and  I  got  out  through  the 
stern  port,  and  we  made  for  shore  again,  as  fast  as  oars  could  take 
us. 

This  second  trip  fairly  aroused  the  watchers  along  shore.  "  Lilli- 
bullero  "  was  dropped  again;  and  just  before  we  lost  sight  of  them 
behind  the  little  point,  one  of  them  whipped  ashore  and  disappeared. 
I  had  half  a  mind  to  change  my  plan  and  destroj"-  their  boats,  but  I 
feared  that  Silver  and  the  others  might  be  close  at  hand,  and  ali 
might  very  well  be  lost  by  trying  for  too  much.  ' 

We  had  soon  touched  land  in  the  same  place  as  before,  and  set  to 
provision  the  block  house.  AH  three  made  the  first  journey, 
heavily  laden,  aiid  tossed  our  stores  over  the  palisade.  Then,  leav- 
ing Joyce  to  guard  them — one  man,  to  be  sure,  but  with  half  a 
dozen  muskets — Hunter  and  I  returned  to  the  jolly-boat,  and  loaded 
ourselves  once  more,  So  we  proceeded  without  pausing  to  take 
breath,  till  the  whole  cargo  was  bestowed,  when  the  two  servants 
took  up  their  position  in  the  block-house,  and  I,  with  all  my  power, 
sculled  back  to  the  "  Hispaniola." 

That  we  should  have  risked  a  second  boat  load  seems  more  daring 
than  it  really  was.  They  had  the  advantage  of  numbers,  of  course, 
but  we  had  the  advantage  of  arms,  Not  one  of  the  men  ashore  had 
a  musket,  and  before  they  could  get  within  range  for  pistol  shoot- 
ing, we  flattered  ourselves  we  should  be  able  to  give  a  good  account 
of  a  half  dozen  at  least. 


74  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

The  squire  was  waiting  for  me  at  the  stern  window,  all  his  faint 
ness  gone  from  him.  He  caught  the  painter  and  made  it  fast,  and 
we  fell  to  loading  the  boat  for  our  very  lives.  Pork,  powder,  and 
biscuit  was  the  cargo,  with  only  a  musket  and  a  cutlass  apiece  for 
squire  and  me  and  Redruth  and  the  captain.  The  rest  of  the  arms 
and  powder  we  dropped  overboard  in  two  fathoms  and  a  half  of 
water,  so  that  we  could  see  the  bright  steel  shining  far  below  us  in 
the  sun,  on  the  clean,  sandy  bottom. 

By  this  time  the  tide  was  beginning  to  ebb,  and  the  ship  was 
swinging  round  to  her  anchor.  Voices  were  heard  faintly  halloing 
in  the  direction  of  the  two  gigs;  and  though  this  reassured  us  for 
Joyce  and  Hunter,  who  were  well  to  the  eastward,  it  warned  our 
party  to  be  off. 

Redruth  retreated  from  his  place  in  the  gallery,  and  dropped  into 
the  boat,  which  we  then  brought  round  to  the  ship's  counter,  to  be 
handier  for  Captain  Smollett. 

"  Now,  men,"  said  he,  "  do  you  hear  me?" 

There  was  no  answer  from  the  forecastle. 

"  It's  to  you,  Abraham  Gray— it's  to  you  I  am  speaking." 

Still  no  reply. 

"Gray,"  resumed  Mr.  Smollett,  a  little  louder,  "  I  am  leaving 
this  ship,  and  I  order  j'ou  to  follow  your  captain.  I  know  you  are 
a  good  man  at  bottom,  and  I  dare  say  not  one  of  the  lot  of  you's  as 
bad  as  he  makes  out.  I  have  my  watch  here  in  my  hand;  I  give 
you  thirty  seconds  to  join  me  in." 

There  was  a  pause. 

*'  Come,  my  fine  fellow,"  continued  the  captain,  "  don't  hang  so 
long  in  stays.  I'm  risking  my  life,  and  the  lives  of  these  good  gen- 
tlemen every  second." 

There  was  a  sudden  scuffle,  a  sound  of  blows,  and  out  burst 
Abraham  Gray  with  a  knife-cut  on  the  side  of  the  cheek,  and  came 
running  to  the  captain,  like  a  dog  to  the  whistle. 

"  I'm  with  you,  sir,'"  said  he. 

And  the  next  moment  he  and  the  captain  had  dropped  aboard  ol 
us,  and  we  had  shoved  off  and  given  way. 

"We  were  clear  out  of  the  ship;  but  not  yet  askore  in  our  stock 


TREASURE    ISLAITD.  75 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

NARRATIVE  CONTINUED  BY  THE  DOCTOR:  THE  JOLLY-BOAT'S  LAST 

TRIP. 

This  fifth  trip  was  quite  different  from  any  of  the  ethers.  In  the 
first  place,  the  little  gallipot  of  a  boat  that  we  were  ^n  was  gravely 
overloaded.  Five  grown  men,  and  three  of  them  —  Trelawney, 
Redruth,  and  the  captain — over  six  feet  high,  was  already  more 
than  she  was  meant  to  carry.  Add  to  that  the  powder,  pork,  and 
the  bread-bags.  The  gunwale  was  lipping  astern.  Several  times 
we  shipped  a  little  water,  and  my  bre>ches  and  the  tails  of  my  coat 
were  all  soaking  wet  before  we  had  gone  a  hundrea  yards. 

The  captain  made  us  trim  the  boat,  and  we  got  her  to  lie  a  little 
more  evenly.     All  the  same,  we  were  afraid  to  breathe. 

In  the  second  place,  the  ebb  was  now  making— a  strong  rippling 
current  running  westward  through  the  basin,  and  then  south'ard 
and  seaward  down  the  straits  by  which  we  had  entered  in  the  morn- 
ing. Even  the  ripples  were  a  danger  to  our  overloaded  craft;  but 
the  worst  of  it  was  that  we  were  swept  out  of  our  true  course,  and 
away  from  our  proper  landing-place  behind  the  point.  If  we  let  the 
current  have  its  way  we  should  come  ashore  beside  the  gigs,  where 
the  pirates  might  appear  at  any  moment. 

"  I  can  not  keep  her  head  for  the  stockade,  sir,"  said  I  to  the 
captain.  I  was  steering,  while  he  and  Redruth,  two  fresh  men, 
were  at  the  oars,  "  The  tide  keeps  washing  her  down.  Could  you 
pull  a  little  stronger?" 

"  Not  without  swamping  the  boat,"  said  he.  "  You  must  bear 
up,  sir,  if  you  please— bear  up  until  you  see  you're  gaining." 

I  tried,  and  found  bj'-  experiment  that  the  tide  kept  sweeping  us 
westward  until  I  had  laid  her  head  due  east,  or  just  about  right 
angles  to  the  way  we  ought  to  go. 

"  We'll  never  get  ashore  at  this  rate,"  said  I. 

"  If  it's  the  only  course  that  we  can  lie,  sir,  we  must  even  lie  it," 
returned  the  captain,  "  We  must  keep  upstream.  You  see,  sir," 
he  went  on,  '*  if  once  we  dropped  to  leeward  of  the  landing-place, 
it's  hard  to  say  where  we  should  get  ashore,  besides  the  chance  of 
being  boarded  by  the  gigs;  whereas,  the  way  we  go  the  curreni 
must  slacken,  and  then  we  can  dodge  back  along  the  shore." 


76  TREASURE    ISLATn). 

"  The  current  s  less  a'ready,  sir,"  said  the  man  Gray,  who  was 
sitting  in  the  fore  sheets;  "  you  can  ease  her  off  a  bit." 

"  Thank  you,  my  man,"  said  I,  quite  as  if  nothing  had  happened; 
for  we  had  all  quietly  made  up  our  minds  to  treat  him  lilce  one  of 
ourselves. 

Suddenly  the  captain  spoke  up  again,  and  I  thought  his  voice  was 
a  little  changed. 

"  The  gun!"  said  he. 

"  I  have  thought  of  thai,"  said  I,  for  I  made  sure  he  was  think- 
ing of  a  bombardment  of  the  fort.  "  They  could  never  get  the  gun 
ashore,  and  if  they  did,  they  could  never  haul  it  through  the 
woods." 

"  Look  astern,  doctor,"  replied  the  captain. 

We  had  entirely  forgotten  the  long  nine;  and  there,  to  our  horror, 
were  the  five  rogues  busy  about  her,  getting  off  her  jacket,  as  they 
called  the  stout  tarpaulin  cover  under  which  she  sailed.  Not  only 
that,  but  it  flaslied  into  my  mind  at  the  same  moment  that  the 
round  shot  and  the  powder  for  the  gun  had  been  left  behind,  and  a 
stroke  with  an  ax  would  put  it  all  into  the  posssession  of  the  evil 
ones  aboard. 

"  Israel  was  Fhnt's  gunner,"  said  Gray,  hoarsely. 

At  any  risk,  we  put  the  boat's  head  direct  for  the  landing-place. 
By  this  time  we  had  got  so  far  out  of  the  run  of  the  current,  that 
we  kept  steerage  way  even  at  our  necessarily  gentle  rate  of  rowing, 
and  1  could  keep  her  steady  for  tlie  goal.  But  the  worst  of  it  was, 
that  with  the  course  I  now  held,  we  turned  our  broadside  instead 
of  our  stern  to  the  "  Hispaniola,"  and  offered  a  target  like  a  barn 
door. 

I  could  hear,  as  well  as  see,  that  brandy  faced  rascal,  Israel  Hands, 
plumping  down  a  round-shot  on  the  deck. 

"  Who's  the  best  shot?"  asked  the  captain. 

"  Mr.  Trelawney,  out  and  away,"  said  I. 

"  Mr.  Trelawney,  will  you  please  pick  me  off  one  of  those  men, 
sir?    Hands,  if  possible,"  said  the  captain, 

Trelawney  was  as  cold  as  steel.  He  looked  to  the  priming  of  his 
gun. 

"  Now,"  cried  the  captain,  "  easy  with  that  gun,  sir,  or  you'll 
swamp  the  boat.     All  hands  stand  by  to  trim  her  when  he  aims." 

The  squire  raised  his  gun,  the  rowing  ceased,  and  we  leaned  over 
to  the  other  side  to  keep  the  balance,  and  all  was  so  nicely  contrived 
that  we  did  not  ship  a  drop. 

They  had  the  gun,  by  this  time,  slewed  round  upon  the  swivel. 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  77 

and  Hands,  who  was  at  the  muzzle  with  the  rammer,  was,  in  con- 
sequence, the  most  exposed.  However,  w^e  had  no  luck;  for  just 
as  Trelawney  fired,  down  he  stooped,  the  ball  whistling  over  him, 
and  it  was  one  of  the  other  four  who  fell. 

The  cry  he  gave  was  echoed,  not  only  by  his  companions  on 
board,  but  by  a  great  number  of  voices  from  the  shore,  and  looking 
in  that  direction  I  saw  the  other  pirates  trooping  out  from  among 
tlie  trees  and  tumbling  into  their  places  in  the  boats. 

"  Here  come  the  gigs,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Give  way,  then,"  said  tlie  captain.  "  We  mustn't  mind  if  we 
swamp  her  now.     If  we  can't  get  ashore,  all's  up." 

"Only  one  of  the  gigs  is  being  manned,  sir,"  I  added,  "the 
crew  of  the  other  most  likely  goiug  round  by  shore  to  cut  us  off." 

"They'll  have  a  hot  run,  sir,"  returned  the  captain.  "Jack 
ashore,  you  know.  It's  not  them  I  mind;  it's  the  round-shot.  Car- 
pet bowls!  My  lady's  maid  couldn't  miss.  Tell  us,  squire,  when 
you  see  the  match,  and  we'll  hold  water." 

In  the  meanwhile  we  had  been  making  headway  at  a  good  pace 
for  a  boat  so  overloaded,  and  we  had  shipped  but  little  water  in  the 
process.  We  were  now  close  in;  thirty  or  forty  strokes  and  -^e 
should  beach  her;  for  the  ebb  had  already  disclosed  a  narrow  belt 
of  sand  below  the  clustering  trees.  The  gig  was  no  longer  to  be 
feared;  the  little  point  had  already  concealed  it  from  our  eyes.  The 
ebb-tide,  which  had  so  cruelly  delaj^ed  us,  was  now  making  repara- 
tion, and  delaying  our  assailants.  The  one  source  of  danger  was 
the  gun. 

"  If  I  durst,"  said  the  captain,  "  I'd  stop  and  pick  off  another 
man." 

But  it  was  plain  that  they  meant  nothing  should  delay  their  shot. 
They  had  never  so  much  as  looked  at  their  fallen  comrade,  though 
he  was  not  dead,  and  1  could  see  him  trying  to  crawl  away. 

"  Ready!"  cried  the  squire. 

"  Hold!"  cried  the  captain,  quick  as  an  echo. 

A.nd  he  and  Redruth  backed  with  a  great  heave  that  sent  her 
stern  bodily  under  water.  The  report  fell  in  at  the  same  instant  of 
time.  This  was  the  first  that  Jim  heard,  the  sound  of  the  squire's 
shot  not  having  reached  him.  When  the  ball  passed,  not  one  of  us 
precisely  knew;  but  I  fancy  it  must  have  been  over  our  heads,  and 
that  the  wind  of  it  may  have  contributed  to  our  disaster. 

At  any  rate,  the  boat  sunk  by  the  stern,  quite  gently,  in  three 
feet  of  water,  leaving  the  captain  and  myself,  facing  each  other,  on 


78  TREASURE    ISLAK^D. 

our  feet.  The  otber  three  took  complete  headers,  and  came  up 
again,  drenched  and  bubbling. 

So  far  there  was  no  great  harm.  No  lives  were  lost,  and  we 
could  wade  ashore  in  safety.  But  there  were  all  our  stores  at  the 
bottom,  and,  to  make  things  worse,  only  two  guns  out  of  five  re- 
mained in  a  state  for  service.  Mine  I  had  snatched  from  my  knees, 
and  held  over  my  head,  by  a  sort  of  instinct.  As  for  the  captain, 
he  had  carried  his  over  his  shoulder  by  a  bandoleer,  and,  like  a  wise 
man,  lock  uppermost.  The  other  three  had  gone  down  with  the 
boat.  To  add  to  our  concern,  we  heard  voices  already  drawing  near 
us  in  the  woods  along  shore;  and  we  had  not  only  the  danger  of 
being  cut  off  from  the  stockade  in  our  half-crippled  state,  but  the 
fear  before  us  whether,  if  Himter  and  Joyce  were  attacked  by  half 
a  dozen,  they  would  have  the  sense  and  conduct  to  stand  firm. 
Hunter  was  steady,  that  we  knew;  Joyce  was  a  doubtful  case — a 
pleasant,  polite  man  for  a  valet,  and  to  brush  one's  clothes,  but  not 
entirely  fitted  for  a  man-of-war. 

With  all  this  in  our  minds,  we  waded  ashore  as  fast  as  we  could, 
leaving  behind  us  the  poor  jolly-boat,  and  a  good  half  of  all  our 
powder  and  provisions. 


CHAPTER  XVin. 

NARRATIVE  CONTINUED    BY   THE   DOCTOR:    END  OF  THE  FIRST 
day's  FIGHTINGK 

We  made  our  best  speed  across  the  strip  of  wood  that  now  divided 
us  from  the  stockade;  and  at  every  step  we  took  the  voices  of  the 
buccaneers  rang  nearer.  Soon  we  could  hear  their  footfalls  as  they 
ran,  and  the  cracking  of  the  branches  as  they  breasted  across  a  bit 
of  thicket, 

I  began  to  see  we  should  have  a  brush  for  it  in  earnest,  and  looked 
to  ray  priming. 

"  Captain,"  said  I,  "  Trelawney  is  the  dead  shot.  Give  him  your 
gun;  his  own  is  useless." 

They  exchanged  guns,  and  Trelawney,  silent  and  cool  as  he  had 
been  since  the  beginning  of  the  bustle,  hung  a  moment  on  his  heel  to 
see  that  all  was  fit  for  service.  At  the  same  time,  observing  Gray  to 
be  unarmed,  I  handed  him  my  cutlass.  It  did  all  our  hearts  good  to 
see  him  spit  in  his  hand,  knit  his  brows,  and  make  the  blade  sing 
through  the  air.  It  was  plain  from  every  line  of  his  body  that  our 
aew  hand  was  worth  his  salt. 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  79 

Forty  paces  further  we  came  to  the  edge  of  the  wood  and  saw  the 
stockade  in  front  of  us.  We  struck  the  inclosure  about  the  middle 
of  the  south  side,  and,  almost  at  the  same  time,  seven  mutineers- 
Job  xVnderson,  the  boatswain,  at  their  head — appeared  in  full  cry  at 
the  south-western  corner. 

They  paused,  as  if  taken  aback;  and  before  they  recovered,  not 
only  the  squire  and  I,  but  Hunter  and  Joyce  from  the  block-house, 
had  time  to  fire.  The  four  shots  came  in  rather  a  scattering  volley; 
but  they  did  the  business;  one  of  the  enemy  actually  fell,  and  the 
rest,  without  hesitation,  turned  and  plunged  into  the  trees. 

After  reloading,  we  walked  down  the  outside  of  the  palisade  to 
see  tD  the  fallen  enemy.  He  was  stone  dead — shot  through  the  heart. 
We  began  to  rejoice  over  our  good  success,  when  just  at  that  mo- 
ment a  pistol  cracked  in  the  bush,  a  ball  whistled  close  past  my  ear, 
and  poor  Tom  Redruth  stumbled  and  fell  his  length  on  the  ground. 
Both  the  squire  and  I  returned  the  shot;  but  as  we  had  nothing  to 
aim  at,  it  is  probable  we  on^y  wasted  powder.  Then  we  reloaded, 
and  turned  our  attention  to  poor  Tom. 

The  captain  and  Gray  were  already  examining  him,  and  I  saw 
with  half  an  eye  that  all  was  over. 

I  believe  the  readiness  of  our  return  volley  had  scattered  the 
mutineers  once  more,  for  we  were  suffered  without  further  molesta- 
tion to  get  the  poor  old  gamekeeper  hoisted  over  the  stockade,  and 
carried,  groaning  and  bleeding,  into  the  log-house. 

Poor  old  fellow,  he  had  not  uttered  one  word  of  surprise,  com- 
plaint, fear,  or  even  acquiescence,  from  the  very  beginning  of  our 
troubles  tiJ  now,  when  we  had  laid  him  down  in  the  log-house  to 
die.  He  had  laid  like  a  Trojan  behind  his  mattress  in  the  gallery; 
he  had  followed  every  order  silently,  doggedly,  and  well;  he  was 
the  oldest  of  our  part,y  by  a  score  of  years;  and  now,  sullen,  old, 
serviceable  servant,  it  was  he  that  was  to  die. 

The  squire  dropped  down  beside  him  on  his  Jinees,  and  kissed  his 
hand,  crying  like  a  child. 

"  Be  I  going,  doctor?"  he  asked. 
"  Tom,  my  man,"  said  I,  "  you're  going  home." 
"  I  wish  I  had  had  a  lick  at  them  with  the  gun  first,"  he  replied. 
"  Tom,"  said  the  squire,  "  say  you  forgive  me,  won't  you?" 
"  Would  that  be  respectful  like,  from  me  to  you.  squire?"  was 
the  answer.     '■  Howsoever,  so  be  it,  ameul" 

After  a  little  while  of  silence,  he  said  he  thought  somebody  might 
read  a  prayer.  "It's  the  custom,  sir, "  he  added,  apologetically, 
And  not  lonj?  after,  without  another  word,  he  passed  away. 


80  TBEASUEE    ISLAND. 

In  tie  meantime  the  captain,  whom  I  had  observed  to  be  wonder 
fully  swollen  about  the  chest  and  pockets,  had  turned  out  a  great 
many  various  stores — the  British  colors,  a  Bible,  a  coil  of  stoutish 
rope,  pen,  ink,  the  log-book,  and  pounds  of  tobacco.  He  had  found 
a  longish  fir-tree  lying  felled  and  cleared  in  the  inclosure,  and,  with 
the  help  of  Hunter,  he  had  set  it  up  at  the  corner  of  the  log-house 
where  the  tiunks  crossed  and  made  an  angle.  Then,  climbing  on 
the  roof,  he  had  with  his  own  hand  bent  and  run  up  the  colors. 

This  seemed  mightily  to  relieve  him.  He  re-entered  the  log- 
house,  and  set  about  counting  up  the  stores,  as  if  nothing  else  ex- 
isted. But  he  had  an  eye  on  Tom's  passage  for  all  that;  and  as 
soon  as  all  was  over,  came  forward  with  another  flag,  and  reverent- 
ly spread  it  on  the  body. 

"  Don't  3'ou  take  on,  sir,"  he  said,  shaking  the  squire's  hand. 
"  All's  well  with  him;  no  fear  for  a  hand  that's  been  shot  down  in 
his  duty  to  captain  and  owner.  It  mayn't  be  good  divinity,  but  it's 
a  fact." 

Then  he  pulled  me  aside. 

"Doctor  Livesey,"  he  said,  "in  how  many  weeks  do  you  and 
squire  expect  the  consort?" 

I  told  him  it  was  a  question,  not  of  weeks,  but  of  months;  that  if 
we  were  not  back  by  the  end  of  August,  Blandly  was  to  send  to  find 
us;  but  neither  sooner  nor  later.  "  You  can  calculate  for  yourself," 
I  said. 

"  Why,  3'es,"  returned  the  captain,  scratching  his  head,  "and 
making  a  large  allowance,  sir,  for  all  the  gifts  of  Providence,  I 
should  say  we  were  pretty  close  hauled." 

'*  How  do  j^ou  mean?"  I  asked. 

"  It's  a  pity,  sir,  we  lost  that  second  load.  That's  what  I  mean," 
replied  the  captain.  "  As  for  powder  and  shot,  we'll  do.  But  the 
rations  are  short,  very  short — so  short.  Doctor  Livesey,  that  we're 
perhaps  as  well  without  that  extra  mouth." 

And  he  pointed  to  the  dead  body  under  the  flag. 

Just  then,  with  a  roar  and  a  whistle,  a  round  shot  passed  high 
above  the  roof  of  the  log-house  and  plumped  far  beyond  us  in  the 
wood. 

"  Oho!"  said  the  captain.  "  Blaze  away!  You've  little  enough 
powder  already,  my  lads," 

At  the  second  trial  the  aim  was  better,  and  the  ball  descended  in- 
side the  stockade^  scattering  a  cloud  of  sand,  but  doing  no  further 
damage. 

"Captain,"  said  the  squire,  "the  house  is  quite  invisible  from 


TEEASURE    ISLAND.  81 

the  ship.    It  must  be  the  flag  they  are  aiming  at.     Would  it  not  be 
wiser  to  take  it  in?" 

"  Strike  my  colors!"  cried  the  captain.  "  No,  sir,  not  I;"  and, 
a8  soon  as  he  had  said  the  words,  I  think  we  all  agreed  with  him. 
For  it  was  not  only  a  piece  of  stout,  seamanly  good  feeling;  it  was 
good  policy  besides,  and  showed  our  enemies  that  we  despised  their 
cannonade 

All  through  the  evening  they  kept  thundering  away.  Ball  after 
ball  flew  over  or  fell  short,  or  kicked  up  the  sand  in  the  inclosure; 
but  they  had  to  fire  so  high  that  the  shot  fell  dead  and  buried  itself 
in  the  soft  6and.  We  had  no  ricochet  to  fear;  and  though  one 
popped  in  through  the  roof  of  the  log-house  and  out  again  through 
the  floor,  we  soon  got  used  to  that  sort  of  horse-play  and  minded  it 
no  more  than  cricket. 

"  There  is  one  thing  good  aliout  all  this,"  observed  the  captain; 
"  the  wood  in  front  of  us  is  likely  clear.  The  ebb  has  made  a  good 
while;  our  stores  should  be  uncovered.  Volunteers  to  go  and  bring 
in  pork." 

Gray  and  Hunter  were  the  first  to  come  forward.  Well  armed, 
they  stole  out  of  the  stockade,  but  it  proved  a  useless  mission.  The 
mutineers  were  bolder  than  we  fancied,  or  they  put  more  trust  in 
Israel's  gunnery.  For  four  or  five  of  them  were  busy  carrying  off 
our  stores,  and  wading  out  Mith  them  to  one  of  the  gigs  that  lay 
close  by,  pulling  an  oar  or  so  to  hold  her  steady  against  the  current. 
Silver  was  in  the  stern-sheets  in  command;  and  every  man  of  them 
was  now  provided  with  a  musket  from  some  secret  magazine  of 
their  own. 

The  captain  sat  down  to  his  log,  and  here  is  the  beginning  of  the 
entry: 

"  Alexander  Smollett,  master;  David  Livesey,  ship's  doctor; 
Abraham  Gray,  carpenter's  mate;  John  Trelawney,  owner;  John 
Hunter  and  Richard  Joyce,  owner's  servants,  landsmen — being  all 
that  is  left  faithful  of  the  ship's  company — with  stores  for  ten  days 
at  short  rations,  came  ashore  this  day,  and  flew  British  colors  on 
the  log-house  in  Treasure  Island.  Thomas  Redruth,  owner's  serv- 
ant, landsman,  shot  by  the  mutineers;  James  Hawkins,  cabin- 
boy-" 

And  at  the  same  time  I  was  wondering  over  poor  Jim  Hawkins 
fate. 
A  hail  on  the  land  side. 


82  TREASUEE    ISLAXD. 

"  Somebody  hailing  us,"  said  Hunter,  who  "was  on  guard. 

"  Doctor!  squire!  captain!  Hallo,  Hunter,  is  that  you?"  came 
the  cries. 

And  I  ran  to  the  door  in  time  to  see  Jim  Hawkins,  safe  and 
sound,  come  climbing  over  the  stockade. 


CHAPTER  XTX. 

KARRATITE  RESUMED    BY    JIM    HAWKINS'.    THE  OABBISON  AT  THE 

STOCKADE. 

As  soon  as  Ben  Gunn  saw  the  colors  he  came  to  a  halt,  stopped 
me  by  the  arm,  and  sat  down. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  there's  3^our  friends,  sure  enough." 

**  Far  more  likely  it's  the  mutineers,'  I  answered. 

"  That!"  he  cried.  "  Why,  in  a  place  like  this,  where  nobody  puts 
in  but  gen'lemen  of  fortune.  Silver  would  fly  the  Jolly  Roger,  you 
don't  make  uo  doubt  of  that.  No;  that's  your  friends.  There's  been 
blows,  too,  and  I  reckon  your  friends  has  had  the  best  of  it;  and  here 
they  are  ashore  in  the  old  stockade,  as  was  made  years  and  years  ago 
by  Flint.  Ah.,  he  was  the  man  to  have  a  headpiece,  was  Flint! 
Barring  rum,  his  match  was  never  seen.  He  were  afraid  of  none; 
not  he;  on'y  Silver — Silver  was  that  genteel." 

"  "Well,"  said  I,  "  that  may  be  so,  and  so  be  it;  all  the  more  rea- 
son that  I  should  hurry  on  and  join  my  friends." 

"  Nay,  mate,"  returned  Ben,  "  not  you.  You're  a  good  boy,  or 
I'm  mistook;  but  you're  on'y  a  boy,  all  told.  Now,  Ben  Gunn  is 
fly.  Rum  wouldn't  bring  me  there,  where  you're  going — not  rum 
wouldn't,  till  1  see  your  born  gen'leman,  and  gets  it  on  his  word  of 
honor.  And  you  won't  forget  my  words:  '  A  precious  sight '  (that's 
what  you'll  say),  '  a  precious  sight  more  confidence  * — and  then  nips 
him." 

And  he  pinched  me  the  third  time  with  the  same  air  of  cleverness, 

"  And  when  Ben  Gunn  is  wanted,  you  know  where  to  find  him, 
Jim.  Just  where  you  found  him  to-day.  And  him  that  comes  is 
to  have  a  white  thing  in  his  hand;  and  he's  to  come  alone.  OhI 
and  you'll  say  this:  'Ben  Gunn,*  says  you,  'has  reasons  of  his 
own.'  " 

'  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  believe  I  understand.  Tou  have  something 
to  propose,  and  you  wish  to  see  the  squire  or  the  doctor;  and  you're 
jo  be  found  where  I  found  you.    Is  that  all?" 


TEEASUEE    ISLAIS^D.  83 

"And  when?  says  you,"  he  added.    "Why,  from  about  noon 
observation  to  about  six  bells." 
"  Good,"  says  I,  "  and  now  may  I  go?" 

"  You  won't  forget?"  he  inquired,  anxiously.  "  Precious  sight, 
and  reasons  of  his  own,  says  you.  Reasons  of  his  own;  that's  the 
mainstay;  as  between  man  and  man.  Well,  then  "—still  holding 
me — "  I  reckon  you  can  go,  Jim.  And  Jim,  if  you  was  to  see  Sil- 
ver, you  wouldn't  go  for  to  sell  Ben  Gunn?  wild  horses  wouldn't 
draw  it  from  you?  No,  says  you.  And  if  them  pirates  came 
ashore,  Jim,  what  would  you  say  but  there'd  be  widders  in  the  morn- 
ing?" 

Here  he  was  interrupted  by  a  loud  report,  and  a  cannon-ball  came 
tearing  through  (he  trees  and  pitched  in  the  sand,  not  a  hundred 
yards  from  where  we  two  were  talking.  The  next  moment  each  of 
us  had  taken  to  his  heels  in  a  different  direction. 

For  a  good  hour  to  come  frequent  reports  shook  the  island,  and 
balls  kept  crashing  through  the  woods.  I  moved  from  hiding-place 
to  hiding-place,  always  pursued,  or  so  it  seemed  to  me,  by  these  ter- 
rifying missiles.  But  toward  the  end  of  the  bombardment,  though 
still  I  durst  not  venture  in  the  direction  of  the  stockade,  where  the 
balls  fell  oflenest,  I  had  begun,  in  a  manner,  to  pluck  up  my  heart 
again ;  and  after  a  long  detour  to  the  east,  crept  down  among  the 
shore-side  trees. 

The  sun  had  just  set,  the  sea  breeze  was  rustling  and  tumbling  in 
the  woods,  and  ruffling  the  gray  surface  of  the  anchorage;  the  tide, 
too,  was  far  out,  and  great  tracts  of  sand  lay  uncovered;  the  air, 
after  the  heat  of  the  da3%  chilled  me  through  my  jacket. 

The  "  Hispaniola  "  still  lay  where  she  had  anchored;  but,  sure 
enough,  there  was  the  Jolly  Roger— the  black  flag  of  piracy— flying 
from  her  peak.  Even  as  I  looked  there  came  another  red  flash  and 
another  report,  that  sent  the  echoes  clattering,  and  one  more  round 
shot  wbietled  through  the  air.     It  was  the  last  of  the  cannonade. 

I  lay  for  some  time,  watching  the  bustle  which  succeeded  the  at- 
tack. Men  were  demolishing  something  with  axes  on  tlie  beach 
near  the  stockade;  the  poor  jolly-boat,  I  afterward  discovered. 
Away,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  a  great  fire  was  glowing  among 
the  trees,  and  between  that  point  and  the  ship  one  of  the  gigs  kept 
coming  and  going,  the  men,  whom  I  had  seen  so  gloomy,  shouting 
at  Ihe  oars  like  children.  But  there  was  a  sound  in  their  voices 
which  suggested  rum. 

At,  length  I  thought  I  might  return  toward  the  stockade.  I  was 
pretty  far  down  on  the  low,  sandy  spit  that  incloses  the  anchorage 


84  TREASURE    ISLAiqi). 

to  the  east,  and  is  joined  at  half- water  to  Skeleton  Island;  and  now, 
as  I  rose  to  my  feet,  I  saw,  some  distance  further  down  the  spit, 
and  rising  from  among  low  bushes,  an  isolated  rock  pretty  high, 
and  peculiarly  white  in  color.  It  occurred  to  nie  that  this  might  be 
the  white  rock  of  which  Ben  Gunn  had  spoken,  and  that  some  day 
or  other  a  boat  might  be  wanted,  and  I  should  know  where  to  look 
for  one. 

Then  I  skirted  among  the  woods  until  I  had  regained  the  rear,  or 
shoreward  side,  of  the  stockade,  and  was  soon  warmly  welcomed  by 
the  faithful  party. 

I  had  soon  told  my  story,  and  began  to  look  about  me.  The  log- 
house  was  made  of  unsquared  trunks  of  pine— roof,  walls,  and 
floor.  The  latter  stood  in  several  places  as  much  as  a  foot  or  a  foot 
and  a  half  above  the  surface  of  the  sand.  There  was  a  porch  at  the 
door,  and  under  this  porch  tlie  little  spring  welled  up  into  an  artifi- 
cial basin  of  a  rather  odd  kind — no  other  than  a  great  ship's  kettle 
of  iron,  with  the  bottom  knocked  out,  and  sunk  "  to  her  bearings," 
as  the  captain  said,  among  the  sand. 

Little  had  been  left  beside  the  frame- work  of  the  house;  but  in 
one  corner  there  w^as  a  stone  slab  laid  down  by  way  of  hearth,  and 
an  old  rusty  iron  basket  to  contain  the  fire. 

The  slopes  of  the  knoll  and  all  the  inside  of  the  stockade  had  been 
cleared  of  limber  to  build  the  house,  and  we  could  see  by  the  stumps 
what  a  fine  and  lofty  grove  had  been  destroyed.  Most  of  the  soil 
had  been  washed  away  or  buried  in  drift  after  the  removal  of  the 
trees;  only  where  the  streamlet  ran  down  from  the  kettle  a  thick 
bed  of  moss  and  some  ferns  and  little  creeping  bushes  were  still 
green  among  the  sand.  Very  close  around  the  stockade — loo  close 
for  defense,  they  said— the  wood  still  flourished  high  and  dense,  all 
of  fir  on  the  land  side,  but  toward  the  sea  with  a  large  admixture  of 
live-oaks. 

The  cold  evening  breeze,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  whistled 
through  every  chink  of  the  rude  building,  and  sprinkled  the  floor 
with  a  continual  rain  of  fine  sand.  There  was  sand  in  our  eyes, 
sand  in  our  teeth,  sand  in  our  suppers,  sand  dancing  in  the  spring 
at  the  bottom  of  the  kettle,  for  all  the  world  like  porridge  beginning 
to  boil.  Our  chimney  was  a  square  hole  in  the  roof;  it  was  but  a 
little  part  of  the  smoke  that  found  its  way  out,  and  the  rest  eddied 
about  the  house,  and  kept  us  coughing  and  piping  the  eye. 

Add  to  this  that  Graj^  the  new  man,  had  his  face  tied  up  in  a 
Wndage  for  a  cut  he  had  got  in  breaking  away  from  the  mutineersj 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  85 

and  that  poor  old  Tom  Redruth,  still  unburied,  lay  along  the  wall, 
stiff  and  stark,  under  the  Union  Jack. 

If  we  had  been  allowed  to  sit  idle,  we  should  all  have  fallen  in 
the  blues,  but  Captain  Smollett  was  never  the  man  for  that.  All 
hands  were  called  up  before  him,  and  he  divided  us  into  watches. 
The  doctor,  and  Gray,  and  I,  for  one;  the  squire.  Hunter,  and 
Joyce  upon  the  other.  Tired  as  we  all  were,  two  were  sent  out  for 
firewood;  two  more  were  sent  to  dig  a  grave  for  Redruth;  the  doc- 
tor was  named  cook;  I  was  put  sentry  at  the  door;  and  the  captain 
himself  went  from  one  to  another,  keeping  up  jur  spiri  s  and  lend- 
ing a  hand  wherever  it  was  wanted. 

From  time  to  time  the  doctor  camo  ,o  'he  dor  i  r  :  little  air  and 
to  rest  his  eyes,  which  were  almost  Bmo.\.(.  ou  j-  his  head;  and 
whenever  he  did  so,  he  had  a  word  for  me. 

"  That  man  Smollett,"  he  said  once,  *  is  u  better  inai^  th^r\  I  am. 
And  when  I  say  that  it  means  a  deal,  Jim  " 

Another  time  he  came  and  was  silent  for  awhil:.  Then  he  put 
his  head  on  one  side,  and  looked  at  me. 

"  Is  this  Ben  Gunn  a  man?"  he  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir,"  said  I.  "  I  am  not  very  sure  whether  he's 
sane." 

"If  there's  any  doubt  about  the  matter,  he  is, "  returned  the 
doctor.  "  A  man  who  has  been  three  years  biting  his  nails  on  a 
desert  island,  Jim,  can't  expect  to  appear  as  sane  as  j^ou  or  me.  It 
doesn't  lie  in  human  nature.  Was  it  cheese  you  said  he  had  a 
fancy  for?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  cheese,"  I  answered. 

"  Well,  Jim,"  says  he,  "  just  see  the  good  that  comes  of  being 
dainty  in  your  food.  You've  seen  my  snuff-box,  haven't  you? 
And  you  never  saw  me  take  snuff;  the  reason  being  that  in  my 
snuff-box  I  carry  a  piece  of  Parmesan  cheese — a  cheese  made  11 
Italy,  very  nutritious.     Well,  that's  for  Ben  Gunn!" 

Before  supper  was  eaten  we  buried  old  Tom  in  the  sand,  and 
stood  round  him  for  awhile  bare-headed  in  the  breeze.  A  good  deal 
of  firewood  had  been  got  in,  but  not  enough  for  the  captain's  fancy 
and  he  shook  his  head  over  it,  and  told  us  we  "  must  get  back  to 
this  to-morrow  rather  livelier."  Then,  when  we  had  eaten  our 
pork,  and  each  had  a  good  stiff  glass  of  brandy  grog,  the  three 
chiefs  got  together  in  a  corner  to  discuss  our  prospects. 

It  appears  they  were  at  their  wits'  end  what  to  do,  the  stores  being 
so  low  that  we  must  have  been  starved  into  surrender  long  before 
help  came.    But  our  best  hope,  it  was  decided,  was  to  kill  off  )\d 


86  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

buccaneers  until  they  either  hauled  down  their  flag  or  ran  away 
with  the  *'  Hispaniola."  From  nineteen  they  were  already  reduced 
to  fifteen,  two  others  were  wounded,  and  one,  at  least— the  man 
shot  beside  the  gun — severely  wounded,  if  he  were  not  dead.  Every 
time  we  had  a  crack  at  them,  we  were  to  take  it,  saving  our  own 
lives,  with  the  extremest  care.  And,  besides  that,  we  had  two  able 
allies — rum  and  the  climate. 

As  for  the  first,  though  we  were  about  half  a  mile  away,  we  could 
hear  them  roaring  and  singing  late  into  the  night;  and  as  for  the 
second,  the  doctor  staked  his  wig  that,  camped  where  they  were  in 
the  marsh,  and  unprovided  with  remedies,  the  half  of  them  would 
be  on  their  backs  before  a  week. 

*'  So,"  he  added,  "  if  we  are  not  all  shot  down  first  they'll  be 
glad  to  be  packing  in  the  schooner.  It's  always  a  ship,  and  they 
can  get  to  buccaneering  again,  I  suppose." 

"  First  ship  that  I  ever  lost,"  said  Captain  Smollett. 

I  was  dead  tired,  as  you  may  fancy;  and  when  I  got  to  sleep, 
which  was  not  till  after  a  great  deal  of  tossing,  I  slept  like  a  log  of 
wood. 

The  rest  had  long  been  up,  and  had  already  breakfasted  and  in- 
creased the  pile  of  firewood  by  about  half  as  much  again,  when  I 
was  wakened  by  a  bustle  and  the  sound  of  voices. 

"  Flag  of  trucel"  I  heard  some  one  say;  and  then,  immediately 
after,  with  a  cry  of  surprise,  "  Silver  himself  I  * 

And,  at  that,  up  I  jumped,  and,  rubbing  my  eyes,  ran  to  a  loop- 
hole in  the  walL 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SIliVER's     EMBASSY. 

Sure  enough,  there  were  two  men  just  outside  the  stockade,  one 
of  them  waving  a  white  cloth;  the  other,  no  less  a  person  than  Silver 
aimself,  standing  placidly  by. 

It  was  still  quite  early,  and  the  coldest  morning  that  I  think  I 
ever  was  abroad  in;  a  chill  that  pierced  into  the  marrow.  The  sky 
was  bright  and  cloudless  overhead,  and  the  tops  of  the  trees  shone 
rosily  in  the  sun.  But  where  Silver  stood  with  his  lieutenant  all 
was  still  in  shadow,  and  they  waded  knee  deep  in  a  low  white  vapor, 
that  had  crawled  during  the  night  out  of  the  morass.  The  chill  and 
the  vapor  taken  together  told  a  poor  tale  of  tha  island.  It  was 
plainly  a  damp,  feverish,  unhealthy  spot 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  8? 

"  Keep  in-doors,  men,"  said  the  captain.  "  Ten  to  one  this  is  a 
trick, ' ' 

Then  he  hailed  the  buccaneer. 

"  Who  goes?    Stand,  or  we  fire." 

"  Flag  of  truce,"  cried  Silver. 

The  captain  was  in  the  porch,  keeping  himself  carefully  out  of 
the  way  of  a  treacherous  shot  should  any  be  intended.  He  turned 
and  spoke  to  us: 

"  Doctor's  watch  on  the  lookout.  Doctor  Livesey  take  the  north 
side,  if  you  please;  Jim  the  east;  Gray,  west.  The  watch  below, 
all  hands  to  load  muskets.     Lively,  men,  and  careful." 

And  then  he  turned  again  to  the  mutineers. 

"  And  what  do  you  want  with  your  flag  of  truce?"  he  crifid. 

This  time  it  was  the  other  man  who  replied. 

"  Cap'n  Silver,  sir,  to  come  on  board  and  make  terms,"  he  shouted. 

"  Cap'n  Silver!  Don't  know  him.  Who's  he?"  cried  the  cap- 
tain. And  we  could  hear  him  adding  to  himself.  '*  Cap'n,  is  it? 
My  heart,  and  here's  promotion!" 

Long  John  answered  for  himself. 

"  Me,  sir.  These  poor  lads  have  chosen  me  cap'n,  after  your  de- 
sertion, sir" — laying  a  particular  emphasis  upon  the  word  "  deser- 
tion." "  We're  willing  to  submit,  if  we  can  come  to  terms,  and  no 
bones  about  it.  All  I  ask  is  your  word,  Cap'n  Smollett,  to  let  me 
safe  and  sound  out  of  this  here  stockade,  and  one  minute  to  get  out 
o'  shot  before  a  gun  is  fired!" 

"  My  man,"  said  Captain  Smollett,  "  I  have  not  the  slightest  de- 
sire to  talk  to  you.  If  you  wish  to  talk  to  me,  you  can  come,  that's 
all.  If  there's  any  treachery,  it'll  be  on  your  side,  and  the  Lord 
help  you.' 

"  That's  enough,  cap'n,"  shouted  Long  John,  cheerily.  "  A 
word  from  you's  enough.  I  know  a  gentleman,  and  you  may  lay 
to  that." 

We  could  see  the  man  who  carried  the  flag  of  truce  attempting  to 
hold  Silver  back.  Nor  was  that  wonderful,  seeing  how  cavalier 
had  been  the  captain's  answer.  But  Silver  laughed  at  him  aloud, 
and  slapped  him  on  the  back,  as  if  the  idea  of  alarm  had  been  ab- 
surd. Then  he  advanced  to  the  stockade,  threw  over  his  crutch, 
got  a  leg  up,  and  with  great  vigor  and  skill  succeeded  in  surmount- 
ing the  fence  and  dropping  safely  to  the  other  side. 

I  will  confess  that  I  was  far  too  much  taken  up  with  what  was 
going  on  to  be  of  the  slightest  use  as  sentry;  indeed,  I  had  already 
deserted  my  eastern  loop-hole  and  crept  up  behind  the  captain,  who 


8?  TEEASUEE    ISLAND. 

had  now  seated  himself  on  the  threshold,  with  his  elbows  on  his 
knees,  his  head  in  his  hands,  and  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  water  as  it 
bubbled  out  of  the  old  iron  kettle  in  the  sand.  He  was  whistling 
to  himself,  "  Come,  Lasses  and  Lads." 

Silver  had  terrible  hard  work  getting  up  the  knrll.  What  with 
the  steepness  of  the  incline,  the  thick  tree-stumps,  and  the  soft 
sand,  he  and  his  crutch  were  as  helpless  as  a  ship  in  slays.  But  he 
stuck  to  it  like  a  man  in  silence,  and  at  last  arrived  before  the  cap- 
tain, whom  he  saluted  in  the  handsomest  style.  He  was  tricked  out 
in  his  best;  an  immense  blue  coat,  thick  with  brass  buttons,  hung 
as  low  as  to  his  knees,  and  a  fine  laced  hat  was  set  on  the  back  of 
his  head. 

"  Here  you  are,  my  man,"  said  the  captain,  raising  his  head. 
"  You  had  better  sit  down." 

"  You  ain't  a-going  to  let  me  inside,  cap'n?"  complained  Long 
John.  "  It's  a  main  cold  morning,  to  be  sure,  sir,  to  sit  outside 
upon  the  sand." 

"  Why,  Silver,"  said  the  captain,  "  if  you  had  pleased  to  be  an 
honest  man  you  might  have  been  sitting  in  your  galley.  It's  your 
own  doing.  You're  either  my  ship's  cook — and  then  you  were  treat- 
ed handsome — or  Cap'n  Silver,  a  common  mutineer  and  pirate,  and 
then  you  can  go  hang!" 

"Well,  well,  cap'n,"  returned  the  sea-cook,  sitting  down  as  he 
was  bidden  on  the  sand,  ' '  j^ou'U  have  to  give  me  a  hand  up  again, 
that's  all  A  sweet,  pretty  place  you  have  of  it  here.  Ah,  there's 
Jim!  The  top  of  the  morning  to  you,  Jim.  Doctor,  here's  my 
service.  Why,  there  you  all  are  together  like  a  happy  family,  in  a 
manner  of  speaking," 

"  If  you  have  anything  to  say,  my  man,  better  say  it,"  said  the 
captain. 

"Right  you  are,  Cap'n  Smollett,"  replied  Silver.  "  Dooty  is 
dooty,  to  be  sure.  Well,  now,  you  look  here,  that  was  a  good  lay 
of  yours  last  night.  I  don't  deny  it  was  a  good  lay.  Some  of  you 
pretty  handy  with  a  handspike-end.  And  I'll  not  deny  neither  but 
what  some  of  my  people  was  shook — may  be  all  was  shook;  may  be 
I  was  shook  myself;  may  be  that's  why  I'm  here  for  terms.  But 
you  mark  me,  cap'n,  it  won't  do  twice,  bj^  thunder!  We'll  have  to 
do  sentry-go,  and  ease  ofE  a  point  or  so  on  the  rum.  May  be  you 
think  we  were  all  a  sheet  in  the  wind's  eye.  But  I'll  tell  you  I  was 
sober,  I  was  on'y  dog  tired;  and  if  I'd  awoke  a  second  sooner  I'd  a 
caught  you  at  the  act^  I  would.  He  wasn't  dead  when  I  got  round 
to  him,  not  ha  " 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  89 

"  Well?"  says  Captain  Smollett,  as  cool  as  can  be. 

All  that  Silver  said  was  a  riddle  to  him,  but  you  would  never 
have  guessed  it  from  his  tone.  As  for  me,  I  began  to  have  an  ink- 
ling. Ben  Gunn's  last  words  came  back  to  my  mind.  I  began  t^ 
suppose  that  he  had  paid  the  buccaneers  a  visit  while  they  all  lay 
drunk  together  round  their  fire,  and  1  reckoned  up  with  glee  that 
we  had  only  fourteen  enemies  to  deal  with. 

"  Well,  here  it  is,"  said  Silver.  "  We  want  that  treasure,  and 
we'll  have  it — that's  our  pointi  You  would  just  as  soon  save  your 
lives,  I  reckon;  and  that's  yours.    You  have  a  chart,  haven't  you?" 

"  That's  as  may  be,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  Oh,  well,  you  have,  I  know  that,"  returned  Long  John.  "  You 
needn't  be  so  husky  with  a  man;  there  ain't  a  particle  of  service  in 
that,  and  you  may  lay  to  it.  AYhat  I  mean  is,  we  want  your  chart. 
Now,  I  never  meant  you  no  harm,  myself." 

"That  won't  do  with  me,  my  man,"  interrupted  the  captain. 
*'  We  know  exactly  what  you  meant  to  do,  and  we  don't  care;  for 
now,  you  see,  you  can't  do  it." 

And  the  captain  looked  at  him  calmly,  and  proceeded  to  fill  a  pipe. 

"  If  Abe  Gray — "  Silver  broke  out. 

"  Avast  there!"  cried  Mr.  Smollett.  *'  Gray  told  me  nothing, 
and  I  asked  him  nothing;  and  wliat's  more  I  would  see  you  and 
him  and  this  whole  island  blown  clean  out  of  the  water  into  blazes 
first.     So  there's  my  mind  for  you,  my  man,  on  that." 

This  little  whiff  of  temper  seemed  to  cool  Silver  down.  He  had 
been  growing  nettled  before,  but  now  he  pulled  himself  together. 

"  Like  enough,"  said  he.  "  I  would  set  no  limits  to  what  gen- 
tlemen might  consider  shipshape,  or  might  not,  as  the  case  were. 
And,  seein'  as  how  you  are  about  to  take  a  pipe,  cap'n,  I'll  make  so 
free  as  do  likewise." 

And  he  filled  a  pipe  and  lighted  it;  and  the  two  men  sat  silently 
smoking  for  quite  awhile,  now  looking  each  other  in  the  face,  now 
stopping  their  tobacco,  now  leaning  forward  to  spit.  It  was  as  good 
as  the  play  to  see  them. 

"  Now,"  resumed  Silver,  '*  here  it  is.  You  give  us  the  chart  to 
get  the  treasure  by,  and  drop  shooting  poor  seamen,  and  stoving  of 
their  heads  in  while  asleep.  You  do  that,  and  we'll  offer  j'ou  a 
choice.  Either  you  come  aboard  along  of  us,  once  the  treasure 
shipped,  and  then  I'll  give  you  my  affy-davy,  upon  my  word  of 
honor,  to  clap  you  somewhere  safe  ashore.  Or,  if  that  ain't  your 
fancy,  some  of  my  hands  being  rough,  and  having  old  scores,  on 
account  of  hazing;  then  3'nu  can  stay  here,  you  can.     We'll  divide 


9>J  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

Stores  with  you,  man  for  man;  and  I'll  give  my  affy-davy,  as  be* 
fore,  to  speak  the  first  ship  I  sight,  and  send  'em  here  to  pick  you 
Up.  Now  you'll  own  that's  talking.  Handsomer  you  couldn't  look 
to  get,  not  you.  And  I  hope  " — raising  his  voice — "  that  all  hands 
in  this  here  block-house  will  overhaul  my  words,  for  what  is  spoke 
to  one  is  spoke  to  all." 

Captain  Smollett  rose  from  his  seat,  and  knocked  out  the  ashes  of 
his  pipe  in  the  palm  of  his  left  hand. 

"  Is  that  air?"  he  asked. 

"  Every  last  word,  by  thuuderl"  answered  John.  *'  Refuse  that, 
and  you've  seen  the  last  of  me  but  musket-balls." 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  captain.  "  Now  you'll  hear  me.  If  you'll 
come  up  one  by  one,  unarmed,  I'll  engage  to  clap  you  all  in  irons, 
and  take  you  home  to  a  fair  trial  in  England.  If  you  won't,  my 
name  is  Alexander  Smollett,  I've  flown  my  sovereign's  colors,  and 
I'll  see  you  all  to  Davy  Jones.  You  can't  find  the  treasure.  You 
can't  sail  tlie  ship — there's  not  a  man  among  you  fit  to  sail  the  ship. 
You  can't  fight  us — Gray,  there,  got  away  from  five  of  you.  Your 
ship's  in  irons.  Master  Silver;  you're  on  a  lee-shore,  and  so  you'll 
find.  I  stand  here  and  tell  you  so,  and  they're  the  last  good  words 
you'll  get  from  me;  for,  in  the  name  of  Heaven,  I'll  put  a  bullet  in 
your  back  when  next  I  meet  jou.  Tramp,  my  lad.  Bundle  out  of 
this,  please,  hand  over  hand,  and  double  quick." 

Silver's  face  was  a  picture;  his  eyes  started  in  his  head  witii 
wrath.     He  shook  the  fire  out  of  his  pipe. 

"  Give  me  a  hand  up  I"  he  cried. 

"  Not  I,"  returned  the  captain. 

"  Who'll  give  me  a  hand  up?"  he  roared. 

Not  a  man  among  us  moved.  Growling  the  foulest  imprecations, 
be  crawled  along  the  sand  till  he  got  hold  of  the  porch  and  could 
hoist  himself  again  upon  his  crutch.     Then  he;  spat  into  the  spring. 

"  There!"  he  cried,  "  that's  what  I  think  of  ye.  Before  an  hour's 
out,  I'll  stove  in  your  old  block-house  like  a  rum  puncheon.  Laugh, 
by  thunder,  laugh!  Before  an  hour's  out,  ye'll  laugh  upon  the 
other  side.     Them  that  die'll  be  the  lucky  ones." 

And  with  a  dreadful  oath  he  stumbled  off,  plowed  down  the  sand, 
was  helped  across  the  stockade,  after  four  or  five  failures,  by  the 
man  with  the  flag  of  truce,  and  disappeared  in  an  instant  afterward 
among  the  trees. 


TBEASUEE    ISLAND.  91 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  ATTACK. 

As  soon  as  Silver  disappeared,  the  captain,  who  had  been  closely 
watching  him,  turned  toward  the  interior  of  the  house,  and  found 
not  a  man  of  us  at  his  post  but  Gray.  It  was  the  first  time  we  had 
ever  seen  him  angry. 

"  Quarters!"  he  roared.  And  then,  as  we  all  slunk  back  to  our 
places,  "  Gray,"  he  said,  "  I'll  put  your  name  in  the  log;  you've 
stood  by  your  duty  like  a  seaman.  Mr.  Trelawney,  I'm  surprised 
at  you,  sir.  Doctor,  I  thought  you  had  worn  Ihe  king's  coat!  If 
that  was  how  you  served  at  Fontenoy,  sir,  you'd  have  been  better 
in  your  berth. ' ' 

The  doctor's  watch  were  all  back  at  their  loop-holes,  the  rest  were 
busy  loading  the  spare  muskets,  and  every  one  with  a  red  face,  you 
may  be  certain,  and  a  flea  in  his  ear,  as  the  saying  is. 

The  captain  looked  on  for  awhile  in  silence.    Then  he  spoke. 

"  My  lads,"  he  said,  "I've  given  Silver  a  broadside.  I  pitched  it 
in  red-hot  on  purpose;  and  before  the  hour's  out,  as  he  said,  we 
shall  be  boarded.  We're  outnumbered,  I  needn't  tell  you  that,  but 
we  fight  in  shelter;  and,  a  minute  ago,  I  should  have  said  we  fought 
with  discipline.  I've  no  manner  of  doubt  that  we  can  drub  them, 
if  you  choose." 

Then  he  went  the  rounds,  and  saw,  as  he  said,  that  all  was  clear. 

On  the  two  short  sides  of  the  house,  east  and  west,  there  were 
only  two  loop-holes;  on  the  south  side  where  the  porch  was,  two 
again;  and  on  the  north  side,  five.  There  was  a  round  score  of 
muskets  for  the  seven  of  us;  the  firewood  had  been  built  into  four 
piles — tables,  you  might  say — one  about  the  middle  of  each  side, 
and  on  each  of  these  tables  some  ammunition  and  four  loaded  mus- 
kets were  laid  ready  to  the  hand  of  the  defenders.  In  the  middle, 
the  cutlasses  lay  ranged. 

"  Toss  out  the  fire,"  said  the  captain;  "  the  chill  is  past,  and  we 
mustn't  have  smoke  in  our  eyes." 

The  iron  fire  basket  was  carried  bodily  out  by  Mr.  Trelawney, 
and  the  embers  smothered  among  sand. 

"  Hawkins  hasn't  had  his  breakfast.      Hawkins,  help  yourself, 


92  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

and  back  to  your  post  to  eat  it,"  continued  Captain  Smollett, 
"  Lively,  now,  my  lad;  you'll  want  it  before  you've  done.  Hunter, 
serve  out  a  round  of  brandy  to  all  hands." 

And  while  this  was  going  on,  the  captain  completed,  in  his  own 
mind,  the  plan  of  the  defense. 

"  Doctor,  you  will  take  the  door,"  he  resumed.  "  See  and  don't 
expose  yourself:  keep  within,  and  fire  through  the  porch.  Hunter, 
take  the  east  side,  there.  Joyce,  you  stand  by  the  west,  my  man. 
]V[r.  Trelawney,  you  are  the  best  shot — you  and  Gray  will  take  this 
long  north  side,  with  the  five  loop-holes;  it's  there  the  danger  is.  If 
they  can  get  up  to  it,  and  fire  in  upon  us  through  our  own  ports, 
things  would  begin  to  look  dirty.  Hawkins,  neither  you  nor  I  are 
much  account  at  the  shooting;  we'll  stand  by  to  load  and  bear  a 
hand." 

As  the  captain  had  said,  the  chill  was  past.  As  soon  as  the  sun 
had  climbed  above  our  girdle  of  trees,  it  fell  with  all  its  force  upon 
the  clearing,  and  drank  up  the  vapors  at  a  draught.  Soon  the  sand 
was  baking,  and  the  resin  melting  in  the  logs  of  the  block-house. 
Jackets  and  coats  were  flung  aside;  shirts  were  thrown  open  at  the 
neck,  and  rolled  up  to  the  shoulders;  and  we  stood  there,  each  at 
bis  post,  in  a  fever  of  heat  and  anxiety. 

An  hour  passed  away. 

"Hang  them!"  said  the  captain.  "This  is  as  dull  as  the  dol- 
drums.    Gray,  whistle  for  a  wind." 

And  just  at  that  moment  came  the  first  news  of  the  attack, 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  said  Joyce,  "  if  I  see  any  one,  am  I  to  fire?" 

"  I  told  you  so!"  cried  the  captain. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  returned  Joyce,  with  the  same  quiet  civility. 

Nothing  followed  for  a  time:  but  the  remark  had  set  us  all  on  the 
alert,  straining  ears  and  eyes — the  musketeers  with  their  pieces  bal- 
anced in  their  hands,  the  captain  out  in  the  middle  of  the  block- 
house, with  his  mouth  very  tiglit  and  a  frown  on  his  face. 

So  some  seconds  passed,  till  suddenly  Joyce  whipped  up  his 
musket  and  fired.  The  report  had  scarcely  died  away  ere  it  was  re- 
peated and  repeated  from  without  in  a  scattering  volley,  shot  be- 
hind shot,  like  a  string  of  geese,  from  every  side  of  the  iuclosure. 
Sev^eral  bullets  struck  the  log-house,  but  not  one  entered,  and,  as 
the  smoke  cleared  away  and  vanished,  the  stockade  and  the  woods 
around  it  looked  as  qaiet  and  empty  as  before.  Not  a  bough  waved, 
not  the  gleam  of  a  musket-barrel  betrayed  the  presence  of  our  foes, 

'•  Did  you  hit  your  man?"  asked  the  captain. 


TEEASUEE    ISLAND.  93 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  Joyce.     "  I  believe  not,  sir." 
'  Next  best  thiug  to  tell  the  truth,"  muttered  Captain  Smollett. 
"  Load  his  gun,  Hawkins.     How  many  should  you  say  there  were 
on  your  side,  doctor?" 

"  I  know  precisely,"  said  Dr.  Livesey.  "  Three  shots  were  fired 
on  this  side.  I  saw  the  three  flashes— two  close  together— one  fur- 
ther to  the  west." 

"  Three!"  repeated  the  captain.  "  And  how  many  on  yours,  Mr. 
Trelawney?" 

But  this  was  not  so  easily  answered.  There  had  come  many  from 
the  north — seven,  by  the  squire's  computation;  eight  or  nine,  ac- 
cording to  Gray.  From  the  east  and  west  only  a  single  shot  had 
been  fired.  It  was  plain,  therefore,  that  the  attack  would  be  devel- 
oped from  the  north,  and  that  on  the  other  three  sides  we  were  only 
to  be  annoyed  by  a  show  of  hostilities.  But  Captain  Smollett  made 
no  change  in  his  arrangements.  If  the  mutineers  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  stockade,  he  argued,  they  would  take  possession  of  any 
unprotected  loop-hole,  and  shoot  us  down  like  rats  in  our  own 
stronghold. 

Nor  had  we  much  time  left  to  us  for  thought.  Suddenly,  with  a 
loud  huzza,  a  little  cloud  of  pirates  leaped  from  the  woods  on  the 
north  side,  and  ran  straight  on  the  stockade.  At  the  same  moment, 
the  fire  was  once  more  opened  from  the  woods,  and  a  rifle-ball  sung 
through  the  door-way,  and  knocked  the  doctor's  musket  into  bits. 

The  boarders  swarmed  over  the  fence  like  monkeys.  Squire  and 
Gray  fired  again  and  yet  again;  three  men  fell,  one  forward  into  the 
inclosure,  two  back  on  the  outside.  But  of  these,  one  was  evidently 
more  frightened  than  hurt,  for  he  was  on  his  feet  again  in  a  crack, 
and  instantly  dsappeared  among  the  trees. 

Two  had  bit  the  dust,  one  had  fled,  four  had  made  good  their 
footing  inside  our  defenses;  wiiile  from  the  shelter  of  the  woods 
seven  or  eight  men,  each  evidently  supplied  with  several  muskets, 
kept  up  a  hot  though  useless  fire  on  the  log-house. 

The  four  who  had  boarded  made  straight  before  them  for  the 
building,  shouting  as  they  ran,  and  the  men  among  the  trees  shout- 
ed back  to  encourage  them.  Several  shots  were  fired,  but,  such  was 
the  hurry  of  the  marksmen,  that  not  one  appeared  to  have  taken 
effect.  In  a  moment  the  four  pirates  had  swarmed  up  the  mound 
and  were  upon  us. 

The  head  of  Job  Anderson,  the  boatswain,  appeared  at  the  middle 
loop-hole. 


94  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

*'  At  'em,  all  hands — all  hands!"  he  roared,  in  a  voice  of  thunder. 

At  the  same  moment,  another  pirate  grasped  Hunter's  musket  b^ 
the  muzzle,  wrenched  it  from  his  hands,  plucked  it  through  the 
loop-hole,  and,  with  one  stunning  blow,  laid  the  poor  fellow  sense- 
less on  the  floor.  Meanwhile  a  third,  running  unharmed  all  round 
the  house,  appeared  suddenly  in  the  door- way,  and  fell  with  his  cut- 
lass on  the  doctor 

Our  position  was  utterly  reversed.  A  moment  since  we  were  fir 
ing,  under  cover,  at  an  exposed  enemy,  now  it  was  we  who  lay  un 
covered,  and  could  not  return  a  blow. 

The  log-house  was  full  of  smoke,  to  which  we  owed  our  compar- 
ative safety.  Cries  and  confusion,  the  flashes  and  reports  of  pistol 
shots,  and  one  loud  groan,  rang  in  my  ears. 

*'  Out,  lads,  out,  and  fight  'em  in  the  open!  Cutlassesl"  cried 
the  captain. 

I  snatched  a  cutlass  from  the  pile,  and  some  one,  at  the  same  time 
snatching  another,  gave  me  a  cut  across  the  knuckles  which  I  hard- 
ly felt.  I  dashed  out  of  the  door  into  the  clear  sunlight.  Some  one 
was  close  behind,  I  knew  not  whom.  Right  in  front,  the  doctor  was 
pursuing  his  assailant  down  the  hill,  and,  just  as  my  eyes  fell  upon 
him,  beat  down  his  guard,  and  sent  him  sprawling  on  his  back, 
•with  a  great  slash  across  his  face. 

"Round  the  house,  lads!  round  the  house!"  cried  the  captain; 
and  even  in  the  hurly-burly  I  perceived  a  change  in  his  voice. 

Mechanically  I  obeyed,  turned  eastward,  and  with  my  cutlass 
raised,  ran  round  the  corner  of  the  house.  jSIext  moment  I  was  face 
to  face  with  Anderson.  He  roared  aloud,  and  his  hanger  went  up 
above  his  head,  flashing  in  the  sunlight  I  had  not  time  to  be 
afraid,  but,  as  the  blow  still  hung  impending,  leaped  in  a  trice  upon 
one  side,  and  missing  my  foot  in  the  soft  sand,  rolled  headlong 
down  the  slope. 

When  I  had  first  sallied  from  the  door,  the  other  mutineers  had 
been  already  swarming  up  the  palisade  to  make  an  end  of  us.  One 
man,  in  a  red  night-cap,  with  his  cutlass  in  his  mouth,  had  even  got 
upon  the  top  and  thrown  a  leg  across.  Well,  so  short  had  been  the 
interval,  that  when  I  found  my  feet  again  all  was  in  the  same  post- 
ure, the  fellow  with  the  red  night-cap  still  Jialf-way  over,  another 
still  just  showing  his  head  above  the  top  of  the  stockade."  And  yet, 
in  this  breath  of  time,  the  fight  was  over,  and  the  victory  ours. 

Gray,  following  close  behind  me,  had  cut  down  the  big  boatswain 
ere  he  bad  time  to  recover  from  his  lost  blow.    Another  had  been 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  95 

shot  at  a  loophole  in  the  very  act  of  firing  into  the  house,  and  nov^ 
lay  in  agony,  the  pistol  still  smoking  in  his  hand.  A  third,  as  I  had 
seen,  the  doctor  had  disposed  of  at  a  blow.  Of  the  four  who  had 
scaled  the  palisade,  one  only  remained  unaccounted  for,  and  he, 
having  left  his  cutlass  on  the  field,  was  now  clambering  out  again 
with  the  fear  of  death  upon  him. 

"  Fire — fire  from  the  housel"  cried  the  doctor.  "  And  you,  lads, 
back  into  cover." 

But  his  words  were  unheeded,  no  shot  was  fired,  and  the  last 
boarder  made  good  his  escape,  and  disappeared  with  the  rest  into 
the  wood.  In  three  seconds  nothing  remained  of  the  attacking  party 
')ut  the  five  who  had  fallen,  four  on  the  inside,  and  one  on  the  out- 
side, of  the  palisade. 

The  doctor  and  Gray  and  I  ran  full  speed  for  shelter.  The  sur- 
vivors would  soon  be  back  where  they  had  left  their  muskets,  and 
at  any  moment  the  fire  might  recommence. 

The  house  was  by  this  time  somewhat  cleared  of  smoke,  and  we 
saw  at  a  glance  the  price  we  had  paid  for  victory.  Hunter  lay  be- 
side his  loop-hole,  stunned;  Joyce  by  his,  shot  through  the  head, 
never  to  move  again;  while  right  in  the  center,  the  squire  was  sup- 
porting the  captain,  one  as  pale  as  the  other. 

"  The  captain's  wounded,"  said  Mr.  Trelawney. 

"  Have  they  run?"  asked  Mr.  Smollett. 

"  All  that  could,  you  may  be  bound,"  returned  the  doctor;  "  but. 
there's  five  of  them  will  never  run  again." 

"  Five!"  cried  the  captain.  "  Come,  that's  better.  Five  against 
three  leaves  us  four  to  nine.  That's  better  odds  than  we  had  at 
starting.  We  were  seven  to  nineteen  then,  or  thought  we  were,  and 
that's  as  bad  to  bear."* 


*  The  mutineers  were  soon  only  eight  in  number,  for  the  man  shot  by  Mr. 
Trelawney  on  board  the  schooner  died  that  same  evening  of  his  wound.  But 
rhis  was,  of  course,  not  known  till  after  by  the  faithful  party. 


TBEASUEE    ISLAifD. 


PART  V. 

XT  SEA  ADVENTUBE. 


CHAPTER  XXn. 

HOW  I  BEGAN  MY  SEA  ADYENTUKE. 

There  was  no  return  of  the  mutineers — not  so  much  as  another 
shot  out  of  the  woods.  They  had  "  got  their  rations  for  that  day," 
as  the  captain  put  it,  and  we  had  the  place  to  ourselves  and  a  quiet 
time  to  overhaul  the  wounded  and  get  dinner.  Squire  and  I  cooked 
outside  in  spite  of  the  danger,  and  even  outside  we  could  hardly  tell 
what  we  were  at,  for  the  horror  of  the  loud  groans  that  reached  us 
from  the  doctor's  patients. 

Out  of  the  eight  men  who  had  fallen  in  the  action  only  three  still 
breathed — that  one  of  the  pirates  who  had  been  shot  at  the  loop-hole, 
Hunter,  and  Captain  Smollett;  and  of  these  the  first  two  were  as 
good  as  dead;  the  mutineer,  indeed,  died  under  the  doctor's  knife, 
and  Hunter,  do  what  we  could,  never  recovered  consciousness  in 
this  world.  He  lingered  all  day,  breathing  loudly  like  the  old  buc- 
caneer at  home  in  his  apoplectic  fit;  but  the  bones  of  his  chest  had 
been  crushed  by  the  blow,  and  his  skidl  fractured  in  falling,  and 
some  time  in  the  following  night,  without  sign  or  sound,  he  went  to 
his  Maker. 

As  for  the  captain,  his  wounds  were  grievous,  indeed,  but  not 
dangerous.  No  organ  was  fatality  injured.  Anderson's  ball — for 
it  was  Job  that  shot  him  first — had  broken  his  shoulder-blade  and 
touched  the  lung,  not  badly;  the  second  had  only  torn  and  displaced 
some  muscles  in  the  calf.  He  was  sure  to  recover,  the  doctor  said, 
but,  in  the  meantime  and  for  weeks  to  come,  he  must  not  walk  or 
move  his  arm,  nor  so  much  as  speak  when  he  could  help  it. 

My  own  accidental  cut  across  the  knuckles  was  a  flea-bile.  Dr. 
Livesey  patched  it  up  with  plaster,  and  pulled  my  ears  for  me  into 
the  bargain. 

After  dinner  the  squire  and  the  doctor  sat  by  the  captain's  side 
awhile  in  consultation;  and  when  they  had  talked  to  their  hearts' 
content,  it  being  then  a  little  past  noon,  the  doctor  took  up  his  hat 
and  pistols,  girt  on  a  cutlass,  put  the  chart  in  his  pocket,  and  with 


TKEASURE    ISLAN^D.  97 

a  musket  over  his  shoulder,  crossed  the  palisade  on  the  north  side, 
and  set  off  briskly  through  the  trees. 

Gray  and  I  were  sitting  together  at  the  far  end  of  the  block-house, 
to  be  out  of  ear-shot  of  our  officers  consulting;  and  Gray  took  his 
pipe  out  of  his  mouth  and  fairly  forgot  to  put  it  back  again,  so 
thunder-struck  he  was  at  this  occurrence. 

"  Why,  in  the  name  of  Davy  Jones,"  said  he,  "  if  Doctor  Livesey 
mad?" 

"  Why,  no,"  says  I.  "  He's  about  the  last  of  ♦his  crew  for  that, 
I  take  it." 

"  Well,  shipmate,"  said  Gray,  "  mad  he  vary  not  be;  but  if  7ie'8 
not,  mark  my  words,  I  am." 

"I  take  it,"  replied  I,  "the  doctor  ha^  Ms  idea;  and  if  lam 
right,  he's  going  now  to  see  Ben  Gunn." 

I  was  right,  as  appeared  later;  but  in  the  meantime,  the  house 
being  stifling  hot,  and  the  little  patch  of  sand  inside  the  palisade 
ablaze  with  midday  sun,  I  began  to  get  another  thought  into  my 
head,  which  was  not  by  any  means  so  right.  What  I  began  to  do 
was  to  envy  the  doctor,  walking  in  the  cool  shadow  of  the  woods, 
with  the  birds  about  him,  and  the  pleasant  smell  of  the  pines,  while 
I  sat  grilling,  with  my  clothes  stuck  to  the  hot  resin,  and  so  much 
blood  about  me,  and  so  many  poor  dead  bodies  lying  all  around, 
that  I  took  a  disgust  of  the  place  that  was  almost  as  strong  as  fear. 

All  the  time  I  was  washing  out  the  blockhouse,  and  then  wash- 
ing up  the  things  from  dinner,  this  disgust  and  envy  kept  growing 
stronger  and  stronger,  till  at  last,  being  near  a  bread-bag,  and  no 
one  then  observing  me,  I  took  the  first  step  toward  my  escapade, 
and  filled  both  pockets  of  my  coat  with  biscuit. 

I  was  a  fool,  if  you  like,  and  certainly  I  was  going  to  do  a  foolish, 
overbold  act;  but  I  was  determined  to  do  it  with  all  the  precautions 
in  my  power.  These  biscuits,  should  anything  befall  me,  would 
keep  me,  at  least  from  starving  till  far  on  in  the  next  day. 

The  next  thing  I  laid  hold  of  was  a  brace  of  pistols,  and  as  I  al- 
ready  had  a  powder-horn  and  bullets,  I  felt  myself  well  supplied 
with  arms. 

As  for  the  scheme  I  had  in  my  head,  it  was  not  a  bad  one  in  it- 
self. It  was  to  go  down  the  sandy  spit  that  divides  the  anchorage 
on  the  east  from  the  open  sea,  find  the  white  rock  I  had  observed 
last  evening,  and  ascertain  whether  it  was  there  or  not  that  Ben 
Gunn  had  hidden  his  boat;  a  thing  quite  worth  doing,  as  I  still  be- 
lieve.   But  as  I  was  certain  I  should  not  be  allowed  to  leave  the  in- 

closure,  my  only  plan  was  to  take  French  leave,  and  slip  out  when 
4 


98  TREASURE    ISLAKD. 

nobody  was  watcliiug;  aud  that  was  so  bad  a  way  of  doing  it  as 
made  the  thing  itself  wrong.  But  I  was  only  a  boy,  and  I  had  made 
my  mind  up. 

Well,  as  things  at  last  fell  out,  I  found  an  admirable  opportunity. 
The  squire  and  Gray  were  busy  helping  the  captain  with  his  band 
ages;  the  coast  was  clear;  I  made  a  bolt  for  it  over  the  stockade  and 
into  the  thickest  of  the  trees,  aud  before  my  absence  was  observed  1 
was  out  of  cry  of  companious. 

This  was  my  second  folly,  far  worse  than  the  first,  as  I  left  out 
two  sound  men  to  guard  the  house;  but  like  the  first,  it  was  a  help 
toward  sa\ing  all  of  us. 

I  took  my  way  straight  for  the  east  coast  of  the  island,  for  I  was 
determined  to  go  down  the  sea-side  of  the  spit  to  avoid  all  chance  of 
observation  from  the  anchoi age.  It  was  already  late  in  ihe  after- 
noon, although  still  warm  aud  sunny.  As  I  continued  to  thread  the 
tall  woods  I  could  hear  from  far  before  me  not  only  the  continuous 
thunder  of  the  surf,  but  a  certain  tossing  of  foliage  aud  grinding  of 
boughs  which  showed  me  the  sea  breeze  had  set  in  higher  than 
usual.  Soon  cool  draughts  of  air  began  to  reach  me;  and  a  few 
steps  further  I  came  forth  into  the  open  borders  of  the  grove,  and 
saw  the  sea  lying  blue  and  sunny  to  the  horizon,  ar»d  the  surf  tum- 
bling and  tossing  its  foam  along  the  beach. 

I  have  never  seen  the  sea  quiet  round  Treasure  Island.  The  suu 
might  blaze  overhead,  the  air  be  without  a  breath,  the  surface 
smooth  aud  blue,  but  still  these  great  rollers  would  be  running 
along  all  the  external  coast,  thundering  aud  thundering  by  day  aud 
night;  and  I  scarce  believe  there  is  one  spot  in  the  island  Avhere  a 
man  would  be  out  of  ear-shot  of  their  noise. 

I  walked  along  beside  the  surf  with  great  enjo}Tnent,  till,  think- 
ing I  was  now  got  far  enough  to  the  south,  I  toolc  the  cover  of  some 
thick  bushes,  and  crept  waril}'  up  to  the  ridge  of  the  spit. 

Behind  me  was  the  sea,  in  front  the  anchorage.  The  sea  breeze, 
as  though  it  had  the  sooner  blown  itself  out  by  its  unusual  violence, 
was  alreadj-  at  an  end;  it  had  been  succeeded  by  light,  variable  airs 
from  the  south  and  south-east,  carrying  great  banks  of  fog;  aud  the 
anchorage,  under  lee  of  Skeleton  Island,  lay  still  and  leaden  as 
when  first  we  entered  it.  The  "  Hispaniola,"  in  that  unbroi;eu 
mirror,  was  exactly  portraj'cd  from  the  truck- to  the  water-line,  the 
Jolly  Roger  hanging  from  her  peak. 

Alongside  lay  one  of  the  gigs.  Silver  in  the  stern  sheets— him  I 
could  always  recognize  —while  a  couple  of  men  were  leaning  over 
tbc  Stero  biUwarks.  one  of  them  with  a  red  cap— the  very  rogue 


TREASUEE    ISLAND.  09 

that  1  had  seen  some  hours  before  stride-legs  upon  the  palisade. 
Apparently  they  were  talking  and  laughing,  though  at  that  distance 
— upward  of  a  mile — I  could,  nf  course,  hear  no  word  of  what  was 
said.  All  at  once,  there  began  the  most  horrid,  unearthly  scream 
ing,  which  at  first  startled  me  badly,  though  I  had  soon  remem- 
bered the  voice  of  Captain  Flint,  and  even  thought  I  could  make 
out  the  bird  by  her  bright  plumage  as  she  sat  perched  upou  her 
master's  wrist. 

Soon  after  the  jolly-boat  shoved  off  and  pulled  for  shore,  and  the 
man  with  the  red  cap  and  his  comrade  went  below  by  the  cabin 
companion. 

Just  about  the  same  time  the  sun  had  gone  down  behind  the  Spy- 
glass, and  as  the  fog  was  collecting  rapidly,  it  began  to  grow  dark 
in  earnest.  I  saw  I  must  lose  no  time  if  I  were  to  find  the  boat  that 
evening. 

The  white  rock,  visible  enough  above  the  brush,  was  still  some 
eighth  of  a  mile  further  down  the  spit,  and  it  took  me  a  goodish 
while  to  get  up  with  it,  crawling,  often  on  all-fours,  among  the 
scrub.  Night  had  almost  come  when  I  laid  my  hand  on  its  rough 
sides.  Eight  below  it  there  was  an  exceedingly  small  hollow  of 
green  turf,  hidden  by  banks  and  a  thick  underwood  about  knee- 
deep,  that  grew  there  very  plentifully;  and  in  the  center  of  the  dell, 
sure  enough,  a  little  tent  of  goat-skins,  like  what  the  gypsies  carry 
about  with  them  in  England. 

1  dropped  into  the  hollow,  lifted  the  side  of  the  tent,  and  there 
was  Ben  Gunn's  boat — home-made  if  ever  anything  was  home- 
made; a  rude,  lop-sided  frame-work  of  tough  wood,  and  stretched 
upon  that  a  covering  of  goat-skin,  with  the  hair  inside.  The  thing 
was  extremely  small,  even  for  me,  and  I  can  hardly  imagine  that  it 
could  have  floated  with  a  full-sized  man.  There  was  one  thwart 
set  as  low  as  possible,  a  kind  of  stretcher  in  the  bows,  and  a  double 
paddle  for  propulsion. 

I  had  not  then  seen  a  coracle,  such  as  the  ancient  Britons  made, 
but  I  have  seen  one  since,  and  I  can  give  j^ou  no  fairer  idea  of  Ben 
Gunn's  boat  than  by  saying  it  was  like  the  first  and  the  worst  cora- 
cle ever  made  by  man.  But  the  great  advantage  of  the  coracle  it 
certainly  possessed,  for  it  was  exccedinglj^  light  and  portable. 

Well,  now  that  I  had  found  the  boat,  you  would  have  thought  1 
had  had  enough  of  truantry  for  once;  but  in  the  meantime  I  had 
taken  another  notion,  and  become  so  obstinately  fond  of  it  that  1 
would  have  carried  it  out,  I  believe,  in  the  teeth  of  Captain  Smollett 
bimself.    This  was  to  slip  out  under  covio'  oi  tbe  uigbt,  cut  tlio 


100  TEEASUKE    ISLAND. 

"  Hlspaciola  "  adrift,  and  let  her  go  ashore  where  she  fancied.  ] 
had  quite  made  up  my  mind  that  the  mutineers,  after  their  repulse 
of  the  morning,  had  notliing  nearer  their  hearts  than  to  up  anchor 
and  away  to  sea:  this,  I  thought,  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  to  pre- 
vent, and  now  that  I  had  seen  how  they  left  their  watchmen  unpro- 
vided with  a  boat,  I  thought  it  might  be  done  with  little  risk. 

Down  I  sit  to  wait  for  darkness,  and  made  a  hearty  meal  of  bis- 
cuit. It  was  a  night  out  of  ten  thousand  for  my  purpose.  The  fog 
had  now  buried  all  heaven.  As  the  last  rays  of  daylight  dwindled 
and  disappeared,  absolute  blackness  settled  down  on  Treasure  Isl- 
and. And  when,  at  last,  I  shouldered  the  coracle,  and  groped  my 
way  stuniblingly  out  of  the  hollow  where  I  had  supped,  there  were 
but  two  points  visible  on  the  whole  anchorage. 

One  was  the  great  fire  on  shore,  by  which  the  defeated  pirates  lay 
carousing  in  the  swamp.  The  other,  a  mere  blur  of  light  upon  the 
darkness,  indicated  the  position  of  the  anchored  ship.  She  had 
swung  round  to  the  ebb — her  bow  was  now  toward  me — the  only 
lights  on  board  were  in  the  cabin;  and  what  I  saw  was  merely  a  re- 
flection on  the  fog  of  the  strong  rays  that  flowed  from  the  stern 
window. 

The  ebb  had  already  run  some  time,  and  I  had  to  vrade  through 
the  long  belt  of  swampy  sand,  where  I  sunk  several  times  above  the 
ankle,  before  I  came  to  the  edge  of  the  retreating  water,  and  wading 
a  little  way  in,  with  some  strength  and  dexterity,  set  my  coracle, 
keel  downward,  on  the  surface. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    EBB-TIDE    RUNS. 

TuE  coracle — as  I  had  ample  reason  to  know  before  I  was  done 
with  her — was  a  very  safe  boat  for  a  person  of  my  height  and 
weight,  both  buoyant  and  clever  in  a  sea-way;  but  she  was  the  most 
cross-grained,  lop-sided  craft  to  manage.  Do  as  you  pleased,  she 
always  made  more  leeway  than  anything  else,  and  turning  round 
and  round  was  the  maneuver  she  was  best  at.  Even  Ben  Gunn 
himself  has  admitted  that  she  was  "  queer  to  handle  till  j'ou  knew 
her  way." 

Certainly  I  did  not  know  her  way.  She  turned  in  every  direction 
but  the  one  I  was  bound  to  go;  the  most  part  of  the  time  we  were 
broadside  on,  and  I  am  very  sure  I  never  should  have  made  the  ship 
at  all  but  for  the  tide.    By  good  fortune,  paddle  as  I  pleased,  the 


TREASURE    ISLAMD.  101 

tide  was  still  sweeping  me  down;  and  there  lay  the  "  Hispaniola  " 

right  in  the  fair  way,  hardly  to  be  missed. 

First  she  loomed  before  nie  like  a  blot  of  something  yet  blacker 
than  darkness,  then  her  spars  and  hull  began  to  take  shape,  and  the 
next  moment,  as  it  seemed  (for  the  further  I  went  the  brisker  grew 
the  current  of  the  ebb),  I  was  alongside  of  her  hawser,  and  had  laid 
hold. 

The  hawser  was  as  taut  as  a  bowstring — so  strong  she  pulled  upon 
her  anchor.  All  round  the  hull,  in  the  blackness,  the  rippling  cur- 
rent bubbled  and  chattered  like  a  little  mountain  stream.  One  cut 
vviih  my  sea  gully,  and  the  "  Hispaniola "  would  go  humming 
down  the  tide. 

So  far  so  good;  but  it  next  occurred  to  my  recollection  that  a  taut 
hawser,  suddenly  cut,  is  a  thing  as  dangerous  as  a  kicking  horse. 
Ten  to  one,  if  I  were  so  foolhardy  as  to  cut  the  "  Hispaniola  "  from 
her  anchor,  I  and  the  coracle  would  be  knocked  clean  out  of  the 
water. 

This  brought  me  to  a  full  stop,  and  if  fortune  had  not  again  par- 
ticularly favored  mCj  I  should  have  had  to  abandon  my  design. 
But  the  light  airs  which  had  begun  blowing  from  the  south-east  and 
south  had  hauled  round  after  nightfall  into  the  south-west.  Just 
while  I  was  meditating,  a  puff  came,  caught  the  "  Hispaniola,"  and 
forced  her  up  into  the  current;  and,  to  my  great  joy,  I  felt  the 
hawser  slacken  in  my  grasp,  and  the  hand  by  which  I  held  it  dip 
for  a  second  under  water. 

With  that  I  made  my  mind  up,  took  out  my  gully,  opened  it  with 
my  teeth,  and  cut  one  strand  after  another,  till  the  vessel  swung  by 
two.  Then  I  lay  quiet,  waiting  to  sever  these  last  when  the  strain 
should  be  once  more  lightened  by  a  breath  of  wind. 

All  this  time  I  had  heard  the  sound  of  loud  voices  from  the  cabin; 
but,  to  say  truth,  my  mind  had  been  so  entirely  taken  up  with  other 
thoughts  that  I  had  scarcely  given  ear.  Now,  however,  when  I  had 
nothing  else  to  do,  I  began  to  pay  mere  heed. 

One  I  recognized  for  the  cockswain's,  Israel  Hands,  that  had  been 
Flint's  gunner  in  former  days.  The  other  was,  of  course,  my  friend 
of  the  red  night-cap.  Both  men  were  plainly  the  worse  of  drink, 
and  they  were  still  drinking;  for,  even  while  I  was  listening,  one  of 
them  with  a  drunken  cry,  opened  the  stern  window  and  threw  out 
something,  which  I  divined  to  be  an  empty  bottle.  But  they  were 
not  only  tipsy;  it  was  plain  that  they  were  furiously  angry.  Oaths 
flew  like  hailstones,  and  every  now  and  then  there  came  forth  such 
an  explosion  as  1  thought  was  sure  to  end  in  blows.    But  each  time 


103  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

the  quarrel  passed  oflE,  and  the  voices  grumbled  lower  for  awhile, 
uu'il  the  next  crisis  came,  and,  in  its  turn,  passed  away  without 
vesult. 

On  shore,  I  could  see  the  glow  of  the  great  camp-fire  burning 
warmly  through  the  shore-side  trees.  Some  one  was  singing,  a 
dull,  old,  droning  sailor's  song,  with  a  droop  and  a  quaver  at  the 
end  of  every  verse,  and  seemingly  no  end  to  it  at  all  but  the  patience 
of  the  singer.  I  had  heard  it  on  the  voyage  more  than  once,  and 
remembered  these  words: 

"  But  one  man  of  the  crew  alive, 
What  put  to  sea  with  seventy-five." 

And  I  thought  it  was  a  ditty  rather  too  dolefully  appropriate  for  n 
company  that  had  met  such  cruel  losses  in  the  morning.  But,  in- 
deed, from  what  I  saw,  all  these  buccaneers  were  as  callous  as  the 
sea  they  sailed  on. 

At  last  the  breeze  came;  the  schooner  sidled  and  drew  nearer  in 
the  dark;  I  felt  the  hawser  slacken  once  more,  and  with  a  good, 
tough  effort,  cut  the  lust  fibers  through. 

The  breeze  had  but  little  action  on  the  coracle,  and  I  was  almost 
instantly  swept  against  the  bows  of  the  "  Hispaniola."  At  the  same 
time  the  schooner  began  to  turn  upon  her  heel,  spinning  slowly,  end 
for  end,  across  the  current, 

I  wrought  like  a  fiend,  for  I  expected  every  moment  to  bo 
swamped;  and  since  I  found  I  could  not  push  the  coracle  directly 
off,  I  now  shoved  straight  astern.  At  length  I  was  clear  of  my 
dangerous  neighbor;  and  just  as  I  gave  the  last  impulsion,  my 
hands  came  across  a  light  cord  that  was  trailing  overboard  across 
the  stern  bulwarks.     Instantly  I  grasped  it. 

Why  I  should  have  done  so  I  can  hardly  say.  It  was  at  first  mere 
instinct;  but  once  I  had  it  in  my  hands  and  found  it  fast,  curiosity 
began  to  get  the  upper  hand,  and  I  determined  I  should  have  one 
look  through  the  cabin  window, 

I  pulled  in  hand  over  hand  on  the  cord,  and,  when  I  judged  my- 
self near  enough,  rose  at  infinite  risk  to  about  half  my  height,  and 
thus  commanded  the  roof  and  a  slice  of  the  interior  of  the  cabin. 

By  this  time  the  schooner  and  her  little  consort  were  gliding 
pretty  swiftly  through  the  water;  indeed,  we  had  already  fetched 
up  level  with  the  camp-fire.  The  ship  was  talking,  as  sailors  say, 
loudly,  treading  the  innumerable  ripples  with  an  incessant  welter- 
ing splash;  and  until  I  got  my  eye  above  the  window-sill  I  could 
uot  comprehend  why  the  watchmen  had  taken  no  alarm.     One 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  103 

glance,  however,  was  sufficient;  and  it  was  only  one  glance  that  1 
durst  take  from  that  unsteady  skiff.  It  showed  me  Hands  and  hia 
companion  locked  together  in  deadly  wrestle,  each  with  a  hand 
upon  the  other's  throat. 

I  dropped  upon  the  thwart  again,  none  too  soon,  for  I  was  near 
overboard.  I  could  see  nothing  for  the  moment,  but  these  two  f uri 
ous,  encrimsoned  faces,  swaying  together  under  the  smoky  lamp; 
and  I  shut  my  eyes  to  let  them  grow  once  more  familiar  with  the 
darkness. 

The  endless  ballad  had  come  to  an  end  at  last,  and  the  whole  di- 
minished company  about  the  camp-fire  had  broken  into  the  chorus 
I  had  heard  so  often: 

*'  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest— 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  I 
Drink  and  the  devil  had  done  for  the  rest— 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  I" 

I  was  just  thinking  how  busy  drink  and  the  devil  were  at  that 
very  moment  in  the  cabin  of  the  "  Hispaniola,"  when  I  was  sur- 
prised by  a  sudden  lurch  of  the  coracle.  At  the  same  moment  she 
yawed  sharply  and  seemed  to  change  her  course.  The  speed  in  the 
meantime  had  strangely  increased. 

I  opened  my  eyes  at  once.  All  round  me  were  little  ripples, 
combing  over  with  a  sharp,  bristling  sound  and  slightly  phosphor- 
escent. The  "  Hispaniola  "  herself,  a  few  yards  in  whose  wake  I 
was  still  being  whirled  along,  seemed  to  stagger  in  her  course,  and 
I  saw  her  spars  toss  a  little  against  the  blackness  of  the  night;  nay, 
as  I  looked  longer,  1  made  sure  she  also  was  wheeling  to  the  south- 
ward. 

I  glanced  over  my  shoulder,  and  my  heart  jumped  against  my 
ribs.  There,  right  behind  me,  was  the  glow  of  the  camp-fire.  The 
current  had  turned  at  right  angles,  sweeping  round  along  with  it 
the  tall  schooner  and  the  little  dancing  coracle;  ever  quickening, 
ever  bubbling  higher,  ever  muttering  louder,  it  went  spinning 
through  the  narrows  for  the  open  sea. 

Suddenly  the  schooner  in  front  of  me  gave  a  violent  yaw,  turn- 
ing, perhaps,  through  twenty  degrees;  and  almost  at  the  same  mo- 
ment one  shout  followed  another  from  on  board;  I  could  hear  feet 
pounding  on  the  companion-ladder:  and  I  knew  that  the  two 
drunkards  had  at  last  been  interrupted  in  thjir  quarrel  and  awakened 
to  a  sense  of  their  disaster. 

I  lay  down  flat  in  the  bottom  of  that  wretched  skiff,  and  devoutly 
recommended  my  spirit  to  its  Maker.     At  the  end  of  the  straits,  I 


104  TREASURE    ISLAKT). 

made  sure  we  must  fall  into  some  bar  of  raging  breakers,  where  all 
my  troubles  would  be  ended  speedily;  and  though  I  could,  per- 
haps, bear  to  die,  I  could  not  bear  to  look  upon  my  fate  as  it  ap- 
proached. 

So  I  must  have  laid  for  hours,  continually  beaten  to  and  fro 
upon  the  billows,  now  and  again  wetted  with  flying  sprays,  and 
never  ceasing  to  expect  death  at  the  next  plunge.  Gradually  wear- 
iness grew  upon  me;  a  numbness,  an  occasional  stupor,  fell  upon 
my  mind  even  in  the  midst  of  my  terrors;  until  sleep  at  last  inter- 
vened, and  in  my  sea-tossed  coracle  I  lay  and  dreamed  of  home  and 
the  old  Admiral  Benbow. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  CORACLE. 

It  was  broad  day  when  I  awoke,  and  found  myself  tossing  at  the 
south-west  end  of  Treasure  Island.  The  sun  was  up,  but  was  still 
hid  from  me  behind  the  great  bulk  of  the  Spy-glass,  which  on  this 
side  descended  almost  to  the  sea  in  formidable  cliffs. 

Haulbowline  Head  and  Mizzeu-mast  Hill  were  at  my  elbow;  the 
hill  bare  and  dark,  the  head  bound  with  cliffs  forty  or  fifty  feet 
high,  and  fringed  with  great  masses  of  fallen  rock.  I  was  scarce  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  to  seaward,  and  it  was  my  first  thought  to  paddle 
in  and  land. 

That  notion  was  soon  given  over.  Among  the  fallen  rocks  the 
breakers  spouted  and  bellowed;  loud  reverberations,  heavy  sprays 
flying  and  falling,  succeeded  one  another  from  second  to  second; 
and  I  saw  myself,  if  I  ventured  nearer,  dashed  to  death  upon  the 
rough  shore,  or  spending  my  strength  in  vain  to  scale  the  beetling 
crags. 

Nor  was  that  all;  for  crawling  together  on  flat  tables  of  rock,  or 
letting  themselves  drop  into  the  sea  with  loud  reports,  I  beheld  huge 
slimy  monsters — soft  snails,  as  it  were,  of  incredible  bigness — two 
or  three  score  of  them  together,  making  the  rocks  to  echo  with  their 
barkings. 

I  have  understood  since  that  they  were  sea-lions,  and  entirelj 
harmless.  But  the  look  of  them,  added  to  the  difficulty  of  the  shore 
and  the  high  running  of  the  surf,  was  more  than  enough  to  disgust 
me  of  that  landing-place.  I  felt  willing  rather  to  starve  at  sea  than 
to  confront  such  perils. 

In  the  meantime  1  had  a  better  chance,  as  I  supposed,  before  m* 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  105 

North  of  Haulbowline  Head,  the  land  runs  in  a  long  way,  leaving, 
at  low  tide,  a  long  stretch  of  yellow  sand.  To  the  north  of  that, 
again,  there  comes  another  cape — Cape  of  the  Woods,  as  it  was 
marked  upon  the  chart — buried  in  tall  green  pines,  which  descended 
to  the  margin  of  the  sea. 

I  remembered  what  Silver  had  said  about  the  current  that  sets 
northward  along  the  whole  west  coast  of  Treasure  Island;  and  see- 
ing from  my  position  that  I  was  already  under  its  intiueuce,  I  pre- 
ferred to  leave  Haulbowline  Head  behind  me,  and  reserve  my 
strength  for  an  attempt  to  land  upon  the  kindlier-looking  Cape  of 
the  Woods. 

There  was  a  great,  smooth  swell  upon  the  sea.  The  wind  blow- 
ing steady  and  gentle  from  the  south,  there  was  no  contrariety  be 
tween  that  and  the  current,  and  the  billows  rose  and  fell  unbroken 
Had  it  been  otherwise,  I  must  long  ago  have  perished;  but  as  it 
was,  it  is  surprising  how  easily  and  securely  my  little  and  liglil  boat 
could  ride.  Often,  as  1  still  lay  at  the  bottom,  and  kept  no  more 
than  an  eye  above  the  gunwale,  I  would  see  a  big  blue  summit 
heaving  close  above  me;  yet  the  coracle  would  but  bounce  a  little, 
dance  as  if  on  springs,  and  subside  on  the  other  side  into  the  trough 
as  lightly  as  a  bird. 

I  began  after  a  little  to  grow  very  bold,  and  sat  up  to  try  my  skill 
at  paddling.  But  even  a  small  change  in  the  disposition  of  the 
weight  will  produce  violent  changes  in  "he  behavior  of  a  coracle 
And  I  Lad  hardly  moved  before  the  boat,  giving  up  at  once  her 
gentle,  dancing  movement,  ran  straight  down  a  slope  of  water  so 
steep  that  it  made  me  giddy,  and  struck  her  nose,  with  a  spout  of 
spray,  deep  into  the  side  of  the  next  wave. 

I  was  drenched  and  terrified,  and  fell  instantly  back  into  my  old 
position,  whereupon  the  coracle  seemed  to  find  her  head  again,  and 
led  me  softly  as  before  among  the  billows.  It  was  plain  she  was  not 
to  be  interfered  with,  and  at  that  rate,  since  I  cculd  in  no  way  in- 
fluence her  course,  what  hope  had  I  left  of  reaching  land? 

I  began  to  be  horribly  frightened,  but  1  kept  my  head,  for  all  that. 
First,  moving  with  all  care,  I  gradually  bailed  out  the  coracle  with 
my  sea  cap;  then  getting  my  eye  once  more  above  the  gunwale,  I 
set  myself  to  study  how  it  was  she  managed  to  slip  so  quietly 
through  the  rollers. 

I  found  each  wave,  instead  of  the  big,  smooth,  glossy  mountain 
it  looks  from  shore,  or  froir.  a  vessel's  deck,  wsm  for  all  the  world 
like  any  range  of  hills  on  the  dry  land,  full  of  peaks  and  smoolt 
places  and  valleys     The  coracle,  left  to  herself,  turning  from  side 


106  TREASUIIE    ISLAND. 

to  side,  threaded,  so  to  speak,  her  way  through  these  lower  parts, 
and  avoided  the  steep  slopes  and  higher,  toppling  summits  of  the 
wave. 

"  Well,  now,"  thought  I  to  myself,  "  it  is  plain  I  must  lie  where 
I  am,  and  not  disturb  the  balance;  but  it  is  plain,  also,  that  I  can 
put  the  paddle  over  the  side,  and  from  time  to  time,  in  smooth 
places,  give  her  a  shove  or  two  toward  land." 

No  sooner  thought  upon  than  done.  There  I  lay  on  my  elbows, 
in  the  most  trying  attitude,  and  every  now  and  again  gave  a  weak 
stroke  or  two  to  turn  her  head  to  shore. 

It  was  very  tiring,  and  slow  work,  yet  I  did  visibly  gain  ground; 
and,  as  we  drew  near  the  Cape  of  the  Woods,  though  I  saw  I  must 
infallibly  miss  that  point,  I  had  still  made  some  hundred  yards  of 
easting.  1  was,  indeed,  close  in.  I  could  see  the  cool,  green  tree- 
tops  swaying  together  in  the  breeze,  and  I  felt  sure  I  should  make 
the  next  promontory  without  fail.  ^ 

It  was  high  time,  for  I  now  began  to  be  tortured  with  thirst.  The 
glow  of  the  sun  from  above,  its  thousand-fold  reflection  from  the 
waves,  the  sea- water  that  fell  and  dried  upon  me,  caking  my  very 
lips  with  salt,  combined  to  make  my  throat  burn  and  my  brain 
ache.  The  sight  of  the  trees  so  near  at  hand  had*almost  made  me 
sick  with  longing;  but  the  current  had  soon  carried  me  past  the 
point;  and,  as  the  next  reach  of  sea  opened  out,  I  beheld  a  sight 
that  changed  the  nature  of  my  thoughts. 

Right  in  front  of  me,  not  half  a  mile  away,  I  beheld  the  "  His- 
paniola  "  under  sail.  I  made  sure,  of  course,  that  I  should  be 
taken;  but  I  was  so  distressed  for  want  of  water,  that  I  scarce  knew 
whether  to  be  glad  or  sorry  at  the  thought;  and,  long  before  I  had 
come  to  a  conclusion,  surprise  had  taken  entire  possession  of  m}' 
mind,  and  I  could  do  nothing  but  stare  and  wonder. 

The  "  Hispaniola  "  was  under  her  mainsail  and  two  jibs,  and  Ihe 
beautiful  white  canvas  shone  in  the  sun  like  snow  or  silver.  When 
I  tirst  sighted  her,  all  her  sails  were  drawing;  she  was  lying  a  course 
about  north-west;  and  I  presumed  the  men  on  board  were  going  round 
the  island  on  their  way  back  to  the  anchorage.  Presently  she  began 
to  fetcli  more  and  more  to  the  westward,  so  that  I  thought  they  had 
sighted  me  and  were  going  about  in  chase.  At  last,  however,  she 
fell  right  into  the  wind's  eye,  was  taken  dead  aback,  and  stood  there 
awhile  helpless,  with  her  sails  shivering. 

"  Clumsy  fellows,"  said  1,  "  they  must  still  be  drunk  as  owls." 
And  I  thought  how  Captain  Smollett  would  have  set  them  skipping. 

Meanwhile  the  schooner  gradually  fell  off,  and  filled  again  upon 


Treasure  island.  107 

aaolher  tack  sailed  swiftly  for  a  minute  or  so,  and  brought  up  once 
more  dead  in  the  wind's  eye  Again  and  again  was  this  repeated. 
To  and  fro,  up  and  down,  north,  south,  east,  and  west  the  "  His 
paniola  "  sailed  by  swoops  and  dashes,  and  at  each  repetition  ended 
as  she  had  begun,  with  idly  flapping  canvas.  It  became  plain  to 
me  that  nobody  was  steering.  And,  if  so,  where  were  the  men' 
Either  they  were  dead  drunk,  or  had  deserted  her,  I  thoughtj  and 
perhaps  if  I  could  get  on  board,  I  might  return  the  vessel  to  her 
captain. 

The  current  was  bearing  coracle  and  schooner  southward  at  an 
equal  rate.  As  foi  the  latter's  sailing.,  it  was  so  wild  and  intermit 
tent,  and  she  hung  each  time  so  long  in  irons,  thai,  she  certainly 
gained  nothing,  if  she  did  not  even  lose.  If  only  I  dared  to  sit  up 
and  paddie,  I  made  sure  that  I  could  overhaul  her.  The  scheme 
had  an  air  of  adventure  that  inspired  me,  and  the  thought  of  the 
water  breaker  beside  the  fore-companion  doubled  my  growing  cour- 
age. 

Up  I  got,  was  welcomed  almost  instantly  by  another  cloud  of 
spray,  bui  this  time  stuck  to  my  purpose;  and  set  myself  with  all 
my  strength  and  caution  to  paddle  after  the  unsteered  "  Hispani- 
ola. "  Once  I  shipped  a  sea  so  heavj^  that  I  had  to  stop  and  bail, 
with  my  heart  fluttering  like  a  bird;  but  gradually  I  got  into  the 
way  of  the  thing,  and  guided  my  coracle  among  the  waves,  with 
only  now  and  then  a  blow  upon  her  bows  and  a  dash  of  foam  in 
my  face. 

I  was  now  gaining  rapidly  on  the  schooner;  I  could  see  the  brass 
glisten  on  the  tiller  as  it  banged  about;  and  still  no  soul  appeared 
upon  her  decks.  I  could  not  choose  but  suppose  she  was  deserted. 
If  not,  the  men  were  lying  drunk  below,  where  I  might  batten  them 
down,  perhaps,  and  do  what  I  chose  with  the  shii?. 

For  some  time  she  had  been  doing  the  worst  thing  possible  for 
me — standing  still.  She  headed  nearly  due  south,  yawing,  of 
course,  all  the  time.  Each  time  she  fell  off  her  sails  partly  filled, 
and  these  brought  her,  in  a  moment,  right  to  the  wind  again.  I 
have  said  this  was  the  worst  thing  possible  for  me;  for  helpless  as 
she  looked  in  this  situation,  with  the  canvas  crackling  like  cannon, 
and  the  blocks  trundling  and  banging  un  the  deck,  she  still  contin- 
ued to  run  away  from  me,  not  only  with  the  speed  of  the  current, 
but  by  the  whole  amount  of  her  leeway,  wliich  was  naturally  great. 

But  now,  at  last,  I  had  my  chance.  The  breeze  fell,  for  some 
seconds,  veiy  low,  and  the  current  gradual!}' turning  her,  the  "  His- 
paniola"  revolved  slowly  round  her  center,  and  at  last  presente(J 


108  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

me  her  stern,  with,  the  cabia  window  still  gaping  open,  and  the 
lamp  over  the  table  still  burning  on  into  the  day.  The  mainsail 
hung  drooped  like  a  banner.  She  was  stock-still,  but  for  the  current. 

For  the  last  little  while  I  had  even  lost;  but  now,  redoubling  my 
efforts,  I  began  once  more  to  overhaul  the  chase. 

I  was  not  a  hundred  yards  from  her  when  the  wind  came  again 
in  a  clap;  she  filled  on  the  port  tack,  and  was  off  again,  stooping 
and  skimming  like  a  swallow. 

JVIy  first  impulse  was  one  of  despair,  but  my  second  was  toward 
joy.  Round  she  came,  till  she  was  broadside  on  to  me — round  still 
till  she  had  covered  a  half,  and  then  two  thirds,  and  then  three 
quarters  of  the  distance  that  separated  us.  I  could  see  the  waves 
boiling  white  under  her  forefoot.  Immensely  tall  she  looked  to  me 
from  my  low  station  in  the  coracle. 

And  then,  of  a  sudden,  I  began  to  comprehend.  T  had  scarce 
time  to  think — scarce  time  to  act  and  save  myself.  I  was  on  the 
summit  of  one  swell  when  the  schooner  came  stooping  over  the 
next.  The  bowsprit  was  over  my  head.  I  sprung  to  my  feet,  and 
leaped,  stamping  the  coracle  under  water.  With  one  hand  I  caught 
the  jib-boom,  while  my  foot  was  lodged  between  the  stay  and  the 
brace;  and  as  I  still  clung  there  panting,  a  dull  blow  told  me  that 
the  schooner  had  charged  down  upon  and  struck  the  coracle,  and 
that  I  was  left  without  retreat  on  the  "  Hispaniola." 


^CHAPTER  XXV. 

I  STRIKE   THE  JOLLY  ROGER. 

I  HAD  scarce  gained  a  position  on  the  bowsprit,  when  the  flying 
jib  flapped  and  filled  upon  the  other  tack,  with  a  report  like  a  gun. 
The  schooner  trembled  to  her  keel  under  the  reverse;  but  next  mo- 
ment, the  other  sails  still  drawing,  the  jib  flapped  back  again,  and 
hung  idle. 

This  had  nearly  tossed  me  off  into  the  sea;  and  now  Host  no  time, 
crawled  back  along  the  bowsprit,  and  tumbled  head-foremost  on 
the  deck. 

I  was  on  the  lee  side  of  the  forecastle,  and  the  mainsail,  which 
was  still  drawing,  concealed  from  me  a  certain  portion  of  the  after- 
deck.  Not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen.  The  planks,  which  had  not  been 
swabbed  since  the  mutiny,  bore  the  print  of  many  feet;  and  an 
empty  bottle,  broken  by  the  neck,  tumbled  to  and  fro  like  a  live 
thing  in  the  scuppers. 


TREASUEE    ISLAND.  109 

Suddenly  the  "  Hispaniola  "  came  right  info  the  wind.  The  jibs 
behind  me  cracked  aloud:  the  rudder  slammed  to;  the  whole  ship 
gave  a  sickening  heave  and  shudder;  and  at  the  same  moment  the 
main-boom  swung  inboard,  the  sheet  groaning  in  the  blocks,  and 
showed  me  the  lee  after-deck. 

There  were  Ihe  two  watchmen,  sure  enough;  red-capon  his  back, 
as  stiff  as  a  handspike,  with  his  arms  stretched  out  like  those  of  a 
crucifix,  and  his  teeth  showing  through  his  open  lios;  Israel  Hands 
propped  against  the  bulwarks,  his  chin  on  his  chest  his  hands  lying 
open  before  him  on  the  deck,  his  face  as  white,  under  its  tan,  as  a 
tallow  candle. 

For  awhile  the  ship  kept  bucking  and  sidling  like  a  vicious  horse, 
the  sails  filling,  now  on  one  tack,  now  on  another,  and  the  boom 
swinging  to  and  fro  till  the  mast  groaned  aloud  under  the  strain 
Now  and  again,  too,  there  would  come  a  cloud  of  light  sprays  over 
the  bulwark,  and  a  heavy  blow  of  the  ship's  bows  against  the  swell 
— so  much  heavier  weather  was  made  of  it  by  this  great  rigged  ship 
than  by  my  home-made,  lop-sided  coracle,  now  gone  to  the  bottom 
of  the  sea. 

At  every  jump  of  the  schooner,  red-cap  slipped  to  and  fro;  but — 
what  was  ghastly  to  behold — neither  his  attitude  nor  his  fixed  teeth- 
disclosing  grin  was  any  way  disturbed  by  this  rough  usage  At 
every  jump,  too,  Hands  appeared  still  more  to  sink  into  himself  and 
settle  down  upon  the  deck,  his  feet  sliding  ever  the  further  out,  and 
the  whole  body  canting  toward  the  stern,  so  that  his  face  became, 
little  by  little,  hid  from  me;  and  at  last  I  could  see  nothing  beyond 
his  ear  and  the  frayed  ringlet  of  one  whisker. 

At  the  same  time,  I  observed,  around  both  of  them,  splashes  of 
dark  blood  upon  the  planks,  and  began  to  feel  sure  that  they  had 
killed  each  other  in  their  drunken  wrath. 

While  I  was  thus  looking  and  wondering,  in  a  calm  moment, 
when  the  ship  was  still,  Israel  Hands  turned  partly  round,  and,  with 
a  low  moan,  writhed  himself  back  to  the  position  in  which  I  had 
seen  him  first.  The  moan,  which  told  of  pain  and  deadly  weakness, 
and  the  way  in  which  his  jaw  hung  open,  went  right  to  my  heart. 
But  when  I  remembered  the  talk  I  had  overheard  from  the  apple 
barrel,  all  pity  left  me. 

I  walked  aft  until  I  reached  the  mainmast. 

*'  Come  aboard,  Mr  Hands,"  I  said,  ironically. 

He  rolled  his  eyes  round  heavily;  but  he  was  too  far  gone  to  ex 
press  surprise.    All  he  could  do  was  to  utter  one  word,  "  Brandy." 

It  occurred  to  me  there  was  no  time  to  lose;  and,  dodging  the 


no  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

boom  as  it  once  more  lurched  across  the  deck,  I  slipped  aft,  aaC 
down  the  companion-stairs  into  the  cabin. 

It  was  such  a  scene  of  confusion  as  you  can  hardly  fancy.  AIJ 
the  lockfast  places  had  been  broken  open  in  quest  of  the  chart.  The 
floor  was  thick  with  mud,  where  ruffians  had  sat  down  to  drink  or 
consult  after  wading  in  the  marshes  round  their  camp.  The  bulk- 
heads, all  painted  in  clear  white,  and  beaded  round  with  gilt,  bore  a 
pattern  of  dirty  hands.  Dozens  of  empty  bottles  clinked  together  iu 
corners  to  the  rolling  of  the  ship.  One  of  the  doctor's  medical  books 
lay  open  on  the  table,  half  of  the  leaves  gutted  out,  I  suppose,  for 
pipe-lights.  In  the  midst  of  all  this  the  lamp  still  cast  a  smoky  glow, 
obscure  and  brown  as  umber. 

I  went  into  the  cellar;  all  the  barrels  were  gone,  and  of  the  bottles 
a  most  surprising  number  had  been  drunk  out  and  thrown  away. 
Certainly,  since  the  mutiny  began,  not  a  man  of  them  could  ever 
have  been  sober. 

Foraging  about,  I  found  a  bottle  with  some  brandy  left,  for 
Hands;  and  for  myself  I  routed  out  some  biscuit,  some  pickled 
fruits,  a  great  bunch  of  raisins,  and  a  piece  of  cheese.  With  these 
I  came  on  deck,  put  down  my  own  stock  behind  the  rudder-head, 
and  well  out  of  the  cockswain's  reach,  went  forward  to  the  water- 
breaker,  and  had  a  good,  deep  drink  of  water,  and  then,  and  not  till 
then,  gave  Hands  the  brandy. 

He  must  have  drunk  a  gill  before  he  took  the  bottle  from  his 
mouth. 

"  Ay,"  said  he,  "  by  thunder,  but  I  wanted  some  o'  thatl" 

I  had  sat  down  already  in  my  own  corner  and  began  to  eat. 

"  Much  hurt?"  I  asked  him. 

He  grunted,  or,  rather,  I  might  say,  he  barked. 

"  If  that  doctor  was  aboard,"  he  said,  "  I'd  be  right  enough  in  a 
couple  of  turns;  but  I  don't  have  no  manner  of  luck,  you  see,  and 
that's  what's  the  matter  with  me.  As  for  that  swab,  he's  good  and 
dead,  he  is,"  he  added,  indicating  the  man  with  the  red  cap.  "  He 
warn't  no  seaman,  anyhow.  And  where  mought  you  have  come 
from?" 

"Well,"  said  I,  "I've  come  aboard  to  take  possession  of  this 
ship,  Mr.  Hands;  and  you'll  please  regard  me  as  your  captain  unti' 
further  notice." 

He  looked  at  me  sourly  enough,  but  said  nothing.  Some  of  the 
color  had  come  back  into  his  cheeks,  though  he  still  looked  very 
sick  and  still  continued  to  slip  out  and  settle  down  as  the  ship 
banged  about. 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  Ill 

"By  tho  b3'e,"  I  continued,  "I  can't  have  these  colors,  Mr. 
Hands:  and  by  your  leave  I'll  strike  'em.    Better  none  than  these.'' 

And.  again  dodging  the  boom,  I  ran  to  the  color  lines,  hauled 
dovn  their  cursed  black  flag,  and  chucked  it  overboard. 

"  God  save  the  kingl"  said  I,  waving  my  cap;  "  and  there's  an 
end  to  Captain  Silver." 

He  watched  me  keenly  and  slyly,  his  chin  all  the  while  on  his 
breast. 

"  I  reckon,"  he  said  at  last — "  I  reckon,  Cap'n  Hawkins,  you'll 
kind  of  want  to  get  ashore,  now.     S'pose  we  talks." 

"  Why,  yes,"  says  I,  "  with  all  my  heart,  Mr.  Hands.  Say  on." 
And  I  went  back  to  my  meal  wilh  a  good  appetite. 

"  This  man,"  he  began,  nodding  feebly  at  the  corpse—"  O'Brien 
were  his  name — a  rank  Irelander — this  man  and  me  got  the  canvas 
on  her,  meaning  for  to  sail  her  back.  Well,  he's  dead  now,  he  is — 
as  dead  as  bilge;  and  who's  to  sail  this  ship,  I  don't  see.  Without 
1  give  j'ou  a  hint,  you  ain't  that  man,  as  far's  I  can  tell.  Now, 
look  here,  you  gives  me  food  and  drink,  and  a  old  scarf  or  ankecher 
to  tie  my  wound  up,  you  do;  and  I'll  tell  you  how  to  sail  her;  and 
that's  about  square  all  round,  I  take  it." 

"  I'll  tell  you  one  thing,"  says  I;  "  I'm  not  going  back  to  Cap- 
tain Kidd's  anchorage.  I  mean  to  get  into  North  Inlet,  and  beach 
her  quietly  there." 

"  To  be  sure  you  did,"  he  cried.  "  Why,  I  ain't  sich  an  infernal 
lubber,  after  all.  I  can  see,  can't  I?  I've  tried  my  fling,  I  have, 
and  I've  lost,  and  it's  you  has  the  wind  of  me.  North  Inlet? 
Why,  I  haven't  no  ch'ice,  not  I!  I'd  help  you  sail  her  up  to  Exe- 
cution Dock,  by  thunder!  so  I  would." 

Well,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  there  was  some  sense  in  this.  We 
struck  our  bargain  on  the  spot.  In  three  minutes  I  had  the  "  His- 
paniola  "  sailing  easily  before  the  wind  along  the  coast  of  Treasure 
Island,  with  good  hopes  of  turning  the  northern  point  ere  noon,  and 
beating  down  again  as  far  as  North  Inlet  before  high  water,  when 
we  might  beach  her  safel}',  and  wait  till  the  subsiding  lide  jjer- 
mitted  us  to  land. 

Then  I  lashed  the  tiller  and  went  below  to  my  own  chest,  where 
I  got  a  soft  silk  handerchief  of  my  mother's.  With  this,  and  with 
my  aid,  Hands  bound  up  the  great  bleeding  stab  he  had  received  in 
the  thigh,  and  after  he  had  eaten  a  little  and  had  a  swallow  or  two 
more  of  the  brandy,  he  began  to  pick  up  visibly,  sat  'jtrj^igiiter  up. 
spoke  louder  and  clearer,  and  looked  in  every  way  anomei  man. 

The  Oreeze  served  us  admirably.    W»  skimmed  before  it  like"  ^ 


113  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

bird,  the  coast  of  the  island  flashing  by,  and  the  view  changiDg 
every  minute.  Soon  we  were  past  the  high  hxnds  and  bowling  ?je- 
side  low,  sandy  country,  sparsely  dotted  with  dwarf  pines,  and  soon 
we  were  beyond  that  again,  and  had  turned  the  corner  of  the  rocky 
hUl  that  ends  the  island  on  the  north. 

I  was  greatly  elated  with  my  new  command,  and  pleased  with  the 
bright,  sunshiny  weather  and  these  different  prospects  of  the  coast. 
I  had  now  plenty  of  water  and  good  things  to  eat,  and  my  con- 
science, which  had  smitten  me  hard  for  my  desertion,  was  quieted 
by  the  great  conquest  I  had  made.  I  should,  I  think,  have  had 
nothing  left  me  to  desire  but  for  the  eyes  of  the  cockswain  as  they 
followed  me  derisivelj^  about  the  deck,  and  (he  odd  smile  that  ap- 
peared continually  on  his  face.  It  was  a  smile  that  had  in  it  some- 
thing both  of  pain  and  weakness — a  haggard,  old  man's  smile;  but 
there  was,  besides  that,  a  grain  of  derision,  a  shadow  of  treachery, 
in  his  expression  as  he  craftily  watched,  and  watched,  and  watched 
me  at  my  work. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

ISRAEL  HANDS. 

The  wind,  serving  us  to  a  desire,  now  hauled  into  the  west.  "We 
could  run  so  much  the  easier  from  the  northwest  corner  of  the  island 
to  the  mouth  of  the  North  Inlet.  Only,  as  we  had  no  power  to 
anchor,  and  dared  not  beach  her  till  the  tide  had  flowed  a  good  deal 
further,  time  hung  on  our  hands.  The  coxwain  told  me  how  to  lay 
the  ship  to;  after  a  good  many  trials  I  succeeded,  and  we  both  sat 
in  silence,  over  another  meal. 

"  Cap'n,"  said  he,  at  length,  with  that  same  uncomfortable  smile, 
"  here's  my  old  shipmate,  O'Brien;  s'pose  you  was  to  heave  him 
overboard,  I  ain't  partic'lar  as  a  rule,  and  I  don't  take  no  blame 
for  settling  his  hash;  but  I  don't  reckon  him  ornamental,  now,  do 
you?" 

"  I'm  not  strong  enough,  and  I  don't  like  the  job;  and  there  he 
lies,  for  me,"  said  I. 

"  This  here's  an  unlucky  ship — the  *  Hispaniola,'  Jim,"  he  went 
on,  blinking.  "  There's  a  power  of  men  been  killed  in  this  '  Hispan- 
iola ' — a  sight  o'  poor  seamen  dead  and  gone  since  you  and  me  took 
ship  to  Bristol.  I  never  seen  such  dirty  luck,  not  I.  There  was 
this  here  O'Brien,  now — he's  dead,  ain't  he?  "Well,  now,  I'm  no 
scholar^  and  you're  a  lad  as  can  read  and  figure;  and,  to  put  it 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  113 

Straight,  do  you  lake  it  as  a  dead  man  is  dead  for  gcod,  or  do  he 
come  alive  again?" 

"  You  can  kill  the  body,  Mr  Hands,  but  not  the  spirit;  you  must 
know  that  already,"  I  replied.  "  O'Brien,  there,  is  in  another  world, 
and  may  be  watching  us." 

"  Ah!"  says  he.  "  Well,  that's  unfort'nate— appears  as  if  killing 
parties  was  a  waste  of  time.  Howsoraever,  spcrrits  don't  reckon 
for  much,  by  what  I've  seen.  I'll  chance  it  with  the  sperrits,  Jim. 
And  now,  you've  spoke  up  free,  and  I'll  take  it  kind  if  j'ou'd  step 
down  into  that  there  cabin  and  get  me  a— well,  a — shiver  my  tim- 
bers! I  can't  hit  the  name  on't;  well,  you  get  me  a  bottle  of  wine^ 
Jim— this  here  brandy's  too  strong  for  my  head." 

Now  the  cockswain's  hesitation  seemed  to  be  unnatural;  and  as  for 
the  notion  of  his  preferring  wine  to  brandy,  I  entirely  disbelieved 
it.  The  whole  story  was  a  pretext.  He  wanted  me  to  leave  the  deck 
^so  much  was  plain;  but  with  what  purpose  I  could  in  no  way  im- 
agine. His  eyes  never  met  mine;  they  kept  vyandering  to  and  fro, 
up  and  down,  now  with  a  look  to  the  sky,  now  with  a  flitting  glance 
upon  the  dead  O'Brien.  All  the  time  he  kept  smiling,  and  putting 
his  tongue  out  in  the  most  guilty,  embarrassed  manner,  so  that  a 
child  could  have  told  that  he  was  bent  on  some  deception.  I  was 
prompt  with  my  answer,  however,  for  I  saw  where  my  advantage 
lay;  and  that  with  a  fellow  so  densely  stupid  I  could  easily  conceal 
my  suspicions  to  the  end. 

"Some  wine?"  I  said.  "  Far  better.  Will  you  have  white  or 
red?" 

"  Well,  I  reckon  it's  about  the  blessed  same  to  me,  shipmate,"  he 
replied;  "  so  it's  strong,  and  plenty  of  it,  what's  the  odds?" 

"All  right;"  I  answered.  "I'll  bring  you  port,  Mr.  Hands. 
But  I'll  have  to  dig  for  it." 

With  that  I  scuttled  down  the  companion  with  all  the  noise  I 
could,  slipped  off  my  shoes,  ran  quietly  along  the  sparred  gallery, 
mounted  the  forecastle  ladder,  and  popped  my  head  out  of  the  fore 
companion.  1  knew  he  would  not  expect  to  see  me  there;  yet  I 
took  every  precaution  possible;  and  certainlj'-  the  worst  of  my  sus- 
picions proved  too  true. 

He  had  risen  from  his  position  to  his  hands  and  knees;  and, 
though  his  leg  obviously  hurt  him  pretty  sharply  when  he  moved 
— for  I  could  hear  him  stifle  a  groan — yet  it  was  at  a  good,  rattling 
rate  that  he  trailed  himself  across  the  deck.  In  half  a  minute  he 
had  reached  the  port  scuppers,  and  picked,  out  of  a  coil  of  rope,  a 
long  knife,  or  rather  a  short  dirk,  discolored  to  the  hilt  with  blood 


114  TREASUKE    ISLAKD. 

He  looked  upon  it  for  a  moment,  thrusting  forlli  his  under  jaw^ 
tried  the  point  upon  his  hand,  and  then,  hastily  concealing  it  in  the 
bosom  of  his  jacket,  trundled  back  again  into  his  old  place  against 
the  bulwark. 

This  was  all  that  I  required  to  know.  Israel  could  move  about; 
he  was  now  armed;  and  if  he  had  been  at  so  much  trouble  to  get 
rid  of  me,  it  was  plain  that  I  was  meant  to  be  the  victim.  What  he 
would  do  afterward — whether  he  would  try  to  crawl  right  across 
the  island  from  North  Inlet  to  the  camp  among  the  swamps,  or 
whether  he  would  fire  Long  Tom,  trusting  that  his  own  comrade? 
might  come  first  to  help  him,  was,  of  course,  more  than  I  could  say. 

Yet  I  felt  sure  that  I  could  trust  him  in  one  point,  since  in  that 
our  interests  jumped  together,  and  that  was  in  the  disposition  of 
the  schooner.  We  both  desired  to  have  her  stranded  safe  enough, 
in  a  sheltered  place,  and  so  that,  when  the  time  came,  she  could  be 
got  otf  again  with  as  little  labor  and  danger  as  might  be;  and  until 
that  was  done  I  considered  that  mj^  life  would  certaiulj^  be  spared. 

While  I  was  thus  turning  the  business  over  in  my  mind  I  had  not 
been  idle  with  my  body.  I  had  stolen  back  to  the  cabin,  slipped 
once  more  into  my  shoes,  and  laid  my  hand  at  random  on  a  bottle 
of  wine,  and  now,  with  this  for  an  excuse,  I  made  my  reappearance 
on  the  deck. 

Hands  lay  as  I  had  left  him,  all  fallen  together  in  a  bundle,  and 
with  his  eyelids  lowered,  as  though  he  were  too  weak  to  bear  the 
light.  He  looked  up,  however,  at  my  coming,  knocked  the  neck 
ofC  the  bottle,  like  a  man  who  had  done  the  same  thing  often,  and 
took  a  good  swig,  with  his  favorite  toast  of  "  Here's  luck!"  Then 
he  lay  quiet  for  a  little,  and  then,  pulling  out  a  stick  of  tobacco, 
begged  me  to  cut  him  a  quid. 

"  Cut  me  a  junk  o'  that,"  says  he,  "  for  I  haven't  no  knife,  and 
hardly  strength  enough,  so  be  as  I  had.  Ah,,  Jim,  Jim,  I  reckon 
I've  missed  stays!  Cut  me  a  quid  as'll  likely  be  the  last,  lad;  for 
I'm  for  my  long  home,  and  no  mistake." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "I'll  cut  j-ou  some  tobacco;  but  if  I  was  you 
and  thought  myself  so  badly,  I  would  go  to  my  prayers,  like  a 
Christian  man." 

"  Why?"  said  he.     "  Now,  you  tell  me  why," 

"  Why?"  I  cried.  "  You  were  asking  me  just  now  about  the 
dead.  You've  broken  your  trust;  you've  lived  in  sin  and  lies  and 
blood;  there's  a  man  you  killed  lying  at  your  feet  this  moment;  and 
you  ask  me  wbyl    For  God's  mercy,  Mr.  Hands,  that's  why." 

I  spoke  with  a  little  heat,  thinking  of  the  bloody  dirk  he  had  hid- 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  115 

den  in  his  pocket,  and  designed,  in  his  ill  thoughts,  to  end  me  with. 
He,  for  his  part,  took  a  great  draught  of  the  wine,  and  spoke  with 
the  most  unusual  solemnity. 

"  For  thirty  year,"  he  said,  "I've  sailed  the  seas,  and  seen  good 
and  bad,  better  and  worse,  fair  weather  and  foul,  provisions  run- 
ning out,  knives  going,  and  what  not  Well,  now  I  tell  you,  I 
never  seen  good  come  o'  goodness  yet  Him  as  strikes  first  is  my 
fancy;  dead  men  don't  bite;  them's  my  views — amen,  so  be  it. 
And  now,  you  look  here,"  he  added,  suddenly  changing  his  tone, 
"  we've  had  about  enough  of  this  foolery.  The  tide's  made  good 
enough  by  now.  You  just  take  my  orders,  Cap'n  Hawkins,  and 
we'll  sail  slap  in  and  be  done  with  it." 
.  All  told,  we  had  scarce  two  miles  to  run;  but  the  navigation  was 
delicate,  the  entrance  to  this  northern  anchorage  was  not  only  nar- 
row and  shoal,  but  lay  east  and  west,  so  that  the  schooner  must  be 
nicely  handled  to  be  got  in.  I  think  I  was  a  good,  prompt  subal- 
tern, and  I  am  very  sure  that  Hands  was  an  excellent  pilot;  for  we 
went  about  and  about,  and  dodged  in,  shaving  the  banks,  with  a 
certainty  and  a  neatness  Ihat  were  a  pleasure  to  behold. 

Scarcely  had  we  passed  the  head  before  the  land  closed  around 
us.  The  shores  of  North  Inlet  were  as  thickly  wooded  as  those  of 
the  southern  anchorage;  but  the  space  was  longer  and  narrower, 
and  more  like,  what  in  truth  it  was,  the  estuary  of  a  river.  Right 
before  us,  at  the  southern  end,  we  saw  the  wreck  of  a  ship  in  the 
last  stages  of  dilapidation.  It  had  been  a  great  vessel  of  three 
masts,  but  had  laid  so  long  exposed  to  the  injuries  of  the  weather, 
that  it  was  hung  about  with  great  webs  of  dripping  sea- weed,  and 
on  the  deck  of  it  shore  bushes  had  taken  root,  and  now  flourished 
thick  with  flowers.  It  was  a  sad  sight,  but  it  showed  us  that  the 
anchorage  was  calm. 

"  Now,"  said  Hands,  "  look  there;  there's  a  pet  bit  for  to  beach 
a  ship  in.  Fine  flat  sand,  never  a  catspaw,  trees  all  around  of  it, 
and  flowers  a-blowing  like  a  garding  on  that  old  ship." 

"And  once  beached,"  I  inquired,  "how  shall  we  get  her  off 
again?" 

"  Whj^  so,"  he  replied;  "you  take  a  line  ashore  there  on  the 
other  side  at  low  water;  take  a  turn  about  one  o'  them  big  pines; 
bring  it  back,  take  a  turn  round  the  capstan,  and  lie  to  for  the  tide. 
Come  high  water,  all  hands  take  a  pull  upon  the  line,  and  off  she 
comes  as  sweet  as  natur'.  And  now,  boy,  you  stand  by.  "We're 
near  the  bit  now,  and  she's  too  much  way  on  her.  Starboard  a 
Ijttle— so— steady— starboard— larboard  a  little — steady — steady!" 


116  TKEASUEE    ISLAND. 

So  he  issued  liis  commands,  whicli  I  breathlessly  obeyed;  till,  all 
of  a  suddou,  he  cried,  "  Now,  my  hearty,  luff!"  And  I  put  the 
helm  hara  jp,  and  the  "  Hispaniola  "  swung  round  rapidly,  and 
ran  stem  ou  for  the  low- wooded  shore. 

The  excitement  of  these  last  maneuvers  had  somewhat  interfered 
with  the  watch  1  had  liept  hitherto,  sharply  enough,  upon  the  cock- 
swain. Even  then  I  was  still  so  much  interested,  waiting  for  the 
ship  to  touch,  that  I  had  quite  forgot  the  peril  that  hung  over  my 
head,  and  stood  craning  over  the  starboard  bulwarks  and  watching 
the  ripi)les  spreading  wide  before  the  bows.  1  might  have  fallen 
without  a  struggle  for  my  life,  had  not  a  sudden  disquietude  seized 
upon  me,  and  made  me  turn  my  head.  Perhaps  I  had  heard  a 
creak,  or  seen  his  shadow  moving  with  the  tail  of  my  eye:  perhaps 
ft  was  an  instinct  like  a  cat's;  but,  sure  enough,  when  I  looked 
round,  there  was  Hands,  already  half-way  toward  me,  with  the 
dirk  in  his  right  hand. 

We  must  both  have  cried  out  aloud  when  our  eyes  met ;  but  while 
mine  was  the  shrill  cry  of  terror,  his  was  a  roar  of  fury  lilie  a 
charging  bull's.  At  the  same  instant  he  threw  himself  forward, 
and  I  leaped  sideways  toward  the  bows.  As  I  did  so  I  left  hold  of 
the  tiller,  which  sprung  sharp  to  leeward;  and  1  tliink  this  saved 
my  life,  for  it  struck  Hands  across  the  chest,  and  stopped  him,  for 
the  moment,  dead. 

Before  he  could  recover  I  was  safe  out  of  the  corner  where  he  had 
me  trapped,  with  all  the  deck  to  dodge  about.  Just  forward  of  the 
mainmast  I  stopped,  drew  a  pistol  from  my  pocket,  tools  a  cool  aim, 
though  he  had  already  turned  and  was  once  more  coming  directly 
after  me,  and  drew  the  trigger.  The  hammer  fell,  but  there  fol- 
lowed neither  flash  nor  sound;  the  priming  was  useless  with  sea' 
water.  I  cursed  myself  for  my  neglect.  Why  had  not  I,  long  be- 
fore, reprimed  and  reloaded  my  only  weapons?  Then  I  should  not 
have  been  as  now,  a  mere  fleeing  sheep  before  this  butcher. 

Wounded  as  he  was,  it  was  wonderful  how  fast  he  could  move, 
his  grizzled  hair  tumbling  over  his  face,  and  his  face  itself  as  red  as 
a  red  ensign  with  his  haste  and  fury.  I  had  no  time  to  try  my 
other  pistol,  nor,  indeed,  much  inclination,  for  I  was  sure  it  would 
be  useless.  One  thing  I  saw  plainly;  I  must  not  simply  retreat  be- 
fore him,  or  he  would  speedily  hold  me  boxed  into  the  bows,  as  a 
moment  since  he  had  so  nearly  boxed  me  in  the  stern.  Once  so 
caught,  and  nine  or  ten  inches  of  the  blood-stained  dirk  would  be 
my  last  experience  on  this  side  of  eternity,    I  placed  my  palms 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  117 

against  the  mainmast,  which  was  of  a  goodish  bigness,  and  waited, 
every  nerve  upon  the  stretch. 

Seeing  that  I  meant  to  dodge  he  also  paused,  and  a  moment  or 
two  passed  in  feints  on  his  part  and  corresponding  movements  upon 
mine.  It  was  such  a  game  as  1  had  often  played  at  home 
about  the  rocks  of  Black  Hill  Cove;  but  never  before,  you  may 
be  sure,  with  such  a  wildly  beating  heart  as  now.  Still,  as  I  say,  it 
was  a  boy's  game,  and  1  thought  I  could  hold  my  own  at  it  against 
an  elderly  seaman  with  a  wounded  thigh.  Indeed,  my  courage  had 
begun  to  rise  so  higli  that  I  allowed  myself  a  few  darting  thoughts 
on  what  would  be  tlie  end  of  the  afifair;  and  while  I  saw  certainly 
that  I  could  spin  it  out  for  long,  I  saw  no  hope  of  any  ultimate 
escape. 

Well,  while  things  stood  thus,  suddenly  the  "  Hispaniola " 
struck,  staggered,  ground  for  an  instant  in  the  sand,  and  then, 
swift  as  a  blow,  canted  over  to  the  port  side,  till  the  deck  stood  at 
an  angle  of  forty-tive  degrees,  and  about  a  puncheon  of  water 
splashed  into  the  scupper-holes,  and  lay  in  a  pool  between  the  deck 
and  bulwark. 

We  were  both  of  us  capsized  in  a  second,  and  both  of  us  rolled, 
almost  together,  into  the  scuppers;  the  dead  red-cap,  with  his  arms 
still  spread  out,  tumbling  stiffly  after  us.  So  near  were  we,  indeed, 
that  my  head  came  against  the  cockwain's  foot  with  a  crack  that 
made  my  teeth  rattle.  Blow  and  all,  I  was  the  first  afoot  again, 
for  Hands  had  got  involved  with  the  dead  body.  The  sudden  cant- 
ing of  the  ship  had  made  the  deck  no  place  for  running  on;  I  had 
to  find  some  new  way  of  escape,  and  that  upon  the  instant,  for  my 
foe  was  almost  touching  me.  Quick  as  thought,  I  sprung  into  the 
mizzenshrouds,  rattled  up  hand  over  hand,  and  did  not  draw  a 
breath  till  I  w'as  seated  on  the  cross-trees. 

I  had  been  saved  by  being  prompt;  the  dirk  had  struck  not  half 
a  foot  below  me,  as  I  pursued  my  upward  flight;  and  there  stood 
Israel  Hands  with  his  mouth  open  and  his  face  upturned  to  mine,  a 
perfect  statue  of  surprise  and  disappointment. 

Now  that  I  had  a  moment  to  myself,  I  lost  no  time  in  changing 
the  priming  of  my  pistol,  and  then,  having  one  ready  for  service, 
and  to  make  assurance  doublj'^  sure,  I  proceeded  to  draw  the  load  of 
the  other,  and  recharge  it  afresh  from  the  beginning. 

My  new  employment  struck  Hands  all  of  a  heap;  he  began  to  see 
the  dice  going  against  him;  and  after  an  obvious  hesitation,  he  also 
hauled  himself  heavily  into  the  shrouds,  and,  with  the  dirk  in  his 
teeth,  began  slowly  and  painfully  to  mount.    It  cost  him  no  end  of 


118  TREASURE    ISLAISTD. 

time  and  grcans  to  haul  his  wounded  leg  beliind  him;  and  I  had 
quietly  finished  my  arrangements  before  he  was  much  more  than  a 
third  of  the  way  up.  Then,  with  a  pistol  in  either  hand,  I  ad- 
dressed him. 

"  One  more  step,  Mr.  Hands,"  said  I,  "  and  I'll  blow  your  brains 
out!    Dead  men  don't  bile,  you  know,"  I  added,  with  a  chuckle. 

He  stopped  instantly.  I  could  see  by  the  workings  of  his  fact 
that  he  was  trying  to  think,  and  the  process  was  so  slow  and  labori- 
ous that,  in  my  new-found  security,  I  laughed  aloud.  At  last,  -with 
a  swallow  or  two,  he  spoke,  his  face  stiil  wearing  the  same  expres- 
eion  of  extreme  perplexity.  In  order  to  speak  he  had  to  take  the 
dagger  from  his  mouth,  but,  in  all  else,  he  remained  unmoved. 

"  Jim,"  says  he,  "  I  reckon  we're  fouled,  you  and  me,  and  we'll 
have  to  sign  articles.  I'd  have  had  you  but  for  that  there  lurch; 
but  I  don't  have  no  luck,  not  I;  and  I  reckon  I'll  have  to  strike, 
which  comes  hard,  you  see,  for  a  master  mariner  to  a  ship's  younkei 
like  you,  Jim." 

I  was  drinking  in  his  words  and  smiling  away,  as  conceited  as  tk 
cock  upon  a  walk,  when,  all  in  a  breath,  back  went  his  right  hand 
over  his  shoulder.  Something  sung  like  an  arrow  through  the  air; 
I  felt  a  blow  and  then  a  sharp  pang,  and  there  I  was  pinned  by  the 
shoulder  to  the  mast.  In  the  horrid  pain  and  surprise  of  the  mo- 
ment— I  scarce  can  say  it  was  by  my  own  volition,  and  I  am  sure  it 
was  without  a  conscious  aim — both  mj'  pistols  went  off,  and  both 
escaped  out  of  my  hands.  They  did  not  fall  alone;  with  a  choked 
cry  the  cockswain  loosed  his  grasp  upon  the  shrouds,  and  plunged 
head  first  into  the  water. 


CHAPTER  XXVn. 

"pieces  op  eight." 

Owing  to  the  cant  of  the  vessel,  the  masts  hung  far  out  over  tlii 
water,  and  from  my  perch  on  the  cross-trees  I  had  nothing  below 
me  but  the  surface  of  the  bay.  Hands,  who  was  not  so  far  up,  was, 
in  consequence,  nearer  to  the  ship,  and  fell  between  me  and  the  bul- 
warks. He  rose  once  to  the  surface  in  a  lather  of  foam  and  blood, 
and  then  sunk  again  for  good.  As  the  water  settled,  I  could  seo 
him  lying  huddled  together  on  the  clean,  bright  sand  in  the  shadow 
of  the  vessel's  sides.  A  fish  or  two  whipped  past  his  body.  Some- 
times, by  the  quivering  of  the  water,  he  appeared  to  move  a  little, 
as  if  he  were  trying  to  rise.    But  he  was  dead  enough,  for  all  tliat, 


TREASURE    ISLAISTD.  IIJ 

being  both  shot  and  drowned,  and  was  food  for  fish  in  the  very 
place  where  he  had  designed  my  slaughter. 

I  was  uo  sooner  certain  of  this  than  I  began  to  feel  sick,  faint, 
and  terrified.  The  hot  blood  was  running  over  my  back  and  chest. 
Tbe  dirk,  where  it  had  pinned  my  shoulder  to  the  mast,  seemed  to 
burn  like  a  hot  iron;  yet  it  was  not  so  much  these  real  sufferings 
that  distressed  me,  for  these,  it  seemed  to  me,  I  could  bear  without 
a  murmur;  it  was  the  horror  I  had  upon  my  mind  of  falling  from 
the  cross-trees  into  that  still  green  water,  beside  the  body  of  the 
cockswain. 

I  clung  with  both  hands  till  my  nails  ached,  and  I  shut  my  eyes 
as  if  to  cover  up  the  peril.  Gradually  my  mind  came  back  again, 
my  pulses  quieted  down  to  a  more  natural  time,  and  I  was  once 
more  in  possession  of  myself. 

It  was  my  first  thought  to  pluck  forth  the  dirk;  but  either  U 
stuck  too  hard  or  my  nerve  failed  me;  and  I  desisted  with  a  violent 
shudder.  Oddly  enough,  that  very  shudder  did  the  business.  The 
knife,  in  fact,  had  come  the  nearest  in  the  world  to  missing  me  al- 
together; it  held  me  by  a  mere  pinch  of  skin,  and  this  the  shudder 
tore  away.  The  blood  ran  down  the  faster,  to  be  sure;  but  I  was 
my  own  master  again,  and  only  tacked  to  the  mast  by  my  coat  and 
shirt. 

These  last  I  broke  through  with  a  sudden  jerk,  and  then  regained 
the  deck  by  the  starboard  shrouds.  For  nothing  in  the  world 
would  I  have  again  ventured,  shaken  as  I  was,  upon  the  overhang- 
ing port  shrouds,  from  which  Israel  had  so  lately  fallen. 

I  went  below,  and  did  what  I  could  for  my  wound;  it  pained  me 
a  good  deal,  and  still  bled  freely;  but  it  was  neither  deep  nor  dan- 
gerous, nor  did  it  greatly  gall  me  when  I  used  my  arm.  Then  I 
looked  around  me,  and  as  the  ship  was  now,  in  a  sense,  my  own,  I 
began  to  think  of  clearing  it  from  its  last  passenger— the  dead  man, 
O'Brien. 

He  had  pitched,  as  I  have  said,  against  the  bulwarks,  where  he 
lay  like  some  horrible,  ungainly  sort  of  puppet;  life-size,  indeed, 
but  how  different  from  life's  color  or  life's  comeliness!  In  that  po- 
sition, I  could  easily  have  my  way  with  him;  and  as  the  habit  of 
tragical  adventures  had  worn  off  almost  all  my  terror  for  the  dead, 
I  took  him  by  the  waist  as  if  he  had  been  a  sack  of  bran,  and,  with 
one  good  heave,  tumbled  him  overboard.  He  went  in  with  a  sound 
ing  plunge;  the  red  cap  came  off,  and  remained  floating  on  the  sur- 
face; and  as  soon  as  the  splash  subsided,  I  could  see  him  and  Israel 
lying  side  by  side,  both  wavering  with  the  tremulous  movement  of 


120  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

the  water.  O'Brien,  though  still  quite  a  young  man,  was  very  bald. 
There  he  lay,  with  that  bald  head  across  the  knees  of  the  man  who 
had  killed  him,  and  the  quick  fishes  steering  to  and  fro  over  both. 

I  was  now  alone  upon  the  ship;  the  tide  had  just  turned.  The 
sun  was  within  so  few  degrees  of  setting  that  already  the  shadow  of 
the  pines  upon  the  western  shore  began  to  reach  right  across  the 
anchorage,  and  fall  in  patterns  on  the  deck.  The  evening  breeze 
had  sprung  up,  and  though  it  was  well  warded  off  by  the  hill  with 
the  two  peaks  upon  the  east,  the  cordage  had  begun  to  sing  a  little 
softly  to  itself  and  the  idle  sails  to  rattle  to  and  fro. 

I  began  to  see  a  danger  to  the  ship.  The  jibs  I  speedily  doused 
and  brought  tumbling  to  the  deck;  but  the  mainsail  was  a  harder 
matter.  Of  course,  when  the  schooner  canted  over,  the  boom  had 
swung  out-board,  and  the  cap  of  it  and  a  foot  or  two  of  sail  hung 
even  under  water.  I  thought  this  made  it  still  more  dangerous;  yet 
the  strain  was  so  heavy  that  I  half  feared  to  meddle.  At  last  I  got 
my  knife  and  cut  the  halyards.  The  peak  dropped  Instantly,  a 
great  belly  of  loose  canvas  floated  broad  upon  the  water;  and  since, 
pull  as  I  liked,  I  could  not  budge  the  downhaul,  that  was  the  extent 
of  what  I  could  accomplish.  For  the  rest,  the  "  Hispaniola  "  must 
trust  to  luck,  like  myself. 

By  this  time  the  whole  anchorage  had  fallen  into  shadow — the 
last  rays,  I  remember,  falling  through  a  glade  of  the  wood,  and 
shining  bright  as  jewels,  on  the  flowery  mantle  of  the  wreck.  It 
began  to  be  chill;  the  tide  was  rapidly  fleeting  seaward,  the  schooner 
settling  more  and  more  on  her  beam-ends, 

I  scrambled  forward  and  looked  over.  It  seemed  shallow  enough, 
and  holding  the  cut  hawser  in  both  hands  for  a  last  security,  I  let 
myself  drop  softly  overboard.  The  water  scarcely  reached  my 
waist;  the  sand  was  firm  and  covered  with  ripple-marks,  and  I 
waded  ashore  in  great  spirits,  leaving  the  "  Hispaniola  "  on  her 
side,  with  her  mainsail  trailing  wide  upon  the  surface  of  the  bay. 
About  the  same  time  the  sun  went  fairly  down,  and  the  breeze 
whistled  low  in  the  dusk  among  the  tossing  pines. 

At  least,  and  at  last,  I  was  off  the  sea,  nor  had  I  returned  thence 
empty-handed.  There  lay  the  schooner,  clear  at  last  from  buc 
cancers  and  ready  for  our  own  men  to  board  and  get  to  sea  again. 
I  had  nothing  nearer  my  fancy  than  to  get  home  to  the  stockade  and 
boast  of  my  achievements.  Possibly  I  might  be  blamed  a  bit  for 
my  truantry,  but  tlie  recapture  of  the  "  Hispaniola  "  was  a  clinching 
answer,  and  I  hoped  that  even  Captain  Smollett  would  confess  I 
bad  not  lost  mj  time. 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  121 

So  thinking,  and  in  famous  spirits,  I  began  to  se^  liy  face  home- 
ward for  the  block-house  and  my  companions.  I  i-^membered  that 
the  most  easterly  of  the  rivers  which  drain  into  Captain  Kidd's 
anchorage  ran  from  the  two-peaked  hill  upon  my  'eft;  and  I  bent 
my  course  in  that  direction  that  I  might  pass  the  stream  while  it 
was  small.  The  wood  was  pretty  open,  and  ke'^ping  along  the 
lower  spurs,  I  had  soon  turned  the  corner  of  that  hill,  and  not  long 
after  waded  to  the  mid-calf  across  the  water-course. 

This  brought  me  near  to  where  I  had  encountered  Ben  Gunn,  the 
maroon:  and  I  walked  more  circumspectly,  keeping  un  eye  on  every 
side.  The  dusk  had  cOme  nigh  hand  completely,  and,  as  I  opened 
out  the  cleft  between  the  two  peaks,  I  became  aware  of  a  wavering 
glow  against  the  sky,  where,  as  I  judged,  the  man  of  the  island  was 
cooking  his  supper  before  a  roaring  fire.  And  yet  I  wondered,  in 
my  heart,  that  he  should  show  himself  so  careless.  For  if  I  could 
see  this  radiance,  might  it  not  reach  the  eye  of  Silver  himself  where 
he  camped  upon  the  shore  among  the  marshes? 

Gradually  the  night  fell  blacker;  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  guide 
myself  even  roughly  toward  my  destination;  the  double  hill  behind 
me  and  the  Spy-glass  on  my  right  hand  loomed  faint  and  fainter; 
the  stars  were  few  and  pale;  and  in  the  low  ground  where  I  wan- 
dered I  kept  tripping  among  bushes  and  rolling  into  sandy  pits. 

Suddenly  a  kind  of  brightness  fell  about  me.  I  looked  up;  a  pale 
glimmer  of  moonbeams  had  alighted  on  the  summit  of  the  Spy  glass, 
and  soon  after  I  saw  something  broad  and  silvery  moving  low  down 
behind  the  trees,  and  knew  the  moon  had  risen. 

With  this  to  help  me,  I  passed  rapidly  over  what  remained  to  me 
of  my  journey;  and,  sometimes  walking,  sometimes  running,  im- 
patiently drew  near  to  the  stockade.  Yet,  as  I  began  to  thread  the 
grove  that  lies  before  it,  I  was  not  so  thoughtless  but  that  I  slacked 
my  pace  and  went  a  trifle  warily.  It  would  have  been  a  poor  end 
of  my  adventures  to  get  shot  down  by  my  own  party  in  mistake. 

The  moon  was  climbing  higher  and  higher;  its  light  began  to  fall 
here  and  there  in  masses  through  the  more  open  aistricts  of  the 
wood;  and  right  in  front  of  me  a  glow  of  a  different  color  appeared 
among  the  trees.  It  was  red  and  hot,  and  now  and  again  it  was  a 
little  darkened — as  it  were  tlie  embers  of  a  bonfire  smoldering. 
For  the  life  of  me,  I  could  not  think  what  it  might  be. 
At  last  I  came  right  down  upon  the  borders  of  the  clearing.  The 
western  end  was  already  steeped  in  moonshine;  the  rest,  and  the 
block-house  itself,  still  lay  in  a  black  shadow,  checkered  with  Jong, 
silvery  streaks  of  light;     On  the  other  side  of  the  house  an  immfins? 


123  TREASURE    ISLAKD. 

fire  had  burned  itself  into  clear  embers,  and  shed  a  steady,  red  re 
verberation,  contrasted  strongly  with  the  mellow  paleness  of  the 
moon.  There  was  not  a  soul  stirring,  nor  a  sound  beside  the  noises 
of  the  breeze. 

I  stopped,  with  much  wonder  in  my  heart,  and  perhaps  a  little 
terror  also.  It  had  not  been  our  way  to  build  great  fires;  we  were, 
indeed,  by  the  captain's  orders,  somewhat  niggardly  of  fire- wood; 
and  1  began  to  fear  that  something  had  gone  wrong  while  I  was  ab- 
sent. 

I  stole  round  by  the  eastern  end,  keeping  close  in  shadow,  and  at 
a  convenient  place,  where  the  darkness  was  thickest,  crossed  the 
palisade. 

To  make  assurance  surer,  I  got  upon  my  hands  and  knees,  and 
crawled,  without  a  sound,  toward  the  corner  of  the  house.  As  I 
drew  nearer,  my  heart  was  suddenly  and  greatly  lightened.  It  was 
not  a  pleasant  noise  in  itself,  and  I  have  often  complained  of  it  at 
other  times;  but  just  then  it  was  like  music  to  hear  my  friends  snor- 
ing together  so  loud  and  peaceful  in  their  sleep.  The  sea-cry  of  the 
watch,  that  beautiful  "  All's  well,"  never  fell  more  reassuringly  on 
my  ear. 

In  the  meantime,  there  was  no  doubt  of  one  thing;  they  kept  an 
infamous  bad  watch.  If  it  had  been  Silver  and  his  lads  that  were 
now  creeping  in  on  them,  not  a  soul  would  have  seen  day-break. 
That  was  what  it  was,  thought  I,  to  have  the  captain  wounded;  and 
again  I  blamed  myself  sharply  for  leaving  them  in  that  danger  witn 
so  few  to  mount  guard. 

By  this  time  I  had  got  to  the  door  and  stood  up.  All  was  dark 
within,  so  that  I  could  distinguish  nothing  by  the  eye.  As  for 
sounds,  there  was  the  steady  drone  of  the  snorers,  and  a  small  occa- 
sional noise,  a  flickering  or  pecking  that  I  could  in  no  way  account 
for. 

With  my  arms  before  me  I  walked  steadily  in.  I  should  lie  down 
in  my  own  place  (I  thought,  with  a  silent  chuckle)  and  enjoy  their 
faces  when  they  found  me  in  the  morning.  My  foot  struck  some- 
thing yielding— it  was  a  sleeper's  leg;  and  he  turned  and  groaned, 
but  without  awaking. 

And  then,  all  of  a  sudden,  a  shrill  voice  broke  forth  out  of  the 
darkness; 

"  Pieces  of  eight  1  pieces  of  eight  1  pieces  of  eight!  pieces  of  eightl 
'pieces  of  eight!"  and  so  forth,  without  pause  or  change,  like  the 
clacking  of  a  tiny  mill. 

Silver's  green  parrot.   Captain  Flint!      It  was  she  whom  I  had 


TREASURE    ISLAKD.  133 

heard  pecking  at  a  piece  of  bark;  it  was  she,  keeping  better  watch 
than  any  human  being,  who  thus  announced  my  arrival  with  her 
wearisome  refrain. 

I  had  no  time  left  me  to  recover.  At  Ihe  sharp,  clipping  tone  of 
the  parrot,  the  sleepers  awoke  and  sprung  up;  and  with  a  mighty 
oath,  the  voice  of  Silver  cried: 

"  Who  goes?" 

I  turned  to  run,  struck  violently  against  one  person,  recoiled,  and 
ran  full  into  the  arms  of  a  second,  who,  for  his  part,  closed  upon 
and  held  me  tight. 

"  Bring  a  torch,  Dick,"  said  Silver,  when  my  capture  was  thus 
assured. 

And  one  of  the  men  left  the  log-house,  and  i^resently  returned 
with  a  lighted  brand. 


-0- 


PART  VI. 
CAPTAIN  SILVER. 


CHAPTER  XXVni. 

IN    THE    enemy's    CAMP. 

The  red  glare  of  the  torch,  lighting  up  the  interior  of  the  block- 
house, showed  me  the  worst  of  my  apprehensions  realized.  The 
pirates  were  in  possession  of  the  house  and  stores;  there  was  a  cask 
of  cognac,  there  were  the  pork  and  bread,  as  before;  and,  what  ten- 
fold increased  my  horror,  not  a  sign  of  any  prisoner.  I  could  only 
judge  that  all  had  perished,  and  my  heart  smote  me  sorely  that  I 
had  not  been  there  to  perish  with  them. 

There  were  six  of  the  buccaneers,  all  told;  not  another  man  was 
left  alive.  Five  of  them  were  on  their  feet,  flushed  and  swollen, 
suddenly  called  out  of  the  first  sleep  of  drunkenness.  The  sixth 
had  only  risen  upon  his  elbow;  he  was  deadl}'-  pale,  and  the  blood- 
stained bandage  round  his  head  told  that  he  had  recently  been 
wounded,  and  still  more  recently  dressed.  I  remembered  the  man 
who  had  been  shot  and  had  run  back  among  the  woods  in  the  great 
attack,  and  doubted  not  that  this  was  he. 

The  parrot  sat,  preening  her  plumage,  on  Long  John's  shoulder. 
He  himself,  I  thought,  looked  somewhat  paler  and  more  stern  than 


134  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

I  was  used  to.  He  still  wore  his  fine  broadcloth  suit  in  which  he 
had  fulfilled  his  mission,  but  it  was  bitterly  the  worse  for  wear, 
daubed  with  clay  and  torn  with  the  sharp  briers  of  the  wood. 

"So,"  said  he,  "here's  Jim  Hawkins,  shiver  my  timbersl 
dropped  in,  like,  eh?    Well,  come,  I  take  that  friendly." 

And  thereupon  he  sat  down  across  the  brandy-cask,  and  began  to 
fill  a  pipe. 

"  Give  me  the  loan  of  a  link,  Dick,"  said  he;  and  then,  when  he 
had  a  good  light,  "  That'll  do,  lad,"  he  added,  "  stick  the  glim  in 
the  wood  heap;  and  you,  gentleni'^n,  bring  yourselves  to! — j^ou 
needn't  stand  up  for  Mr.  Hawkins;  he'll  excuse  you,  you  may  lay 
to  that.  And  so,  Jim  " — stopping  the  tobacco — "here  you  are, 
and  quite  a  pleasant  surprise  for  poor  old  John.  I  see  you  were 
smart  when  first  I  set  my  eyes  on  you;  but  this  here  gets  away  from 
me  clean,  it  do." 

To  all  this,  as  may  be  well  supposed,  I  made  no  answer.  They 
had  set  me  with  my  back  against  the  wall;  and  I  stood  there,  look- 
ing Silver  in  the  face,  pluckily  enough,  I  hope,  to  all  outward  ap- 
pearance, but  with  black  despair  in  my  heart. 

Silver  took  a  whifl  or  two  of  his  pipe  with  great  composure,  and 
then  ran  on  again. 

"  Now,  you  see,  Jim,  so  be  as  you  are  here,"  says  he,  "  I'll  give 
you  a  piece  of  my  mind.  I've  always  liked  you,  I  have,  for  a  lad 
of  spirit,  and  the  picter  of  my  own  self  when  I  was  young  and 
handsome.  I  always  wanted  you  to  jine  and  take  your  share,  and 
die  a  gentleman,  and  now,  my  cock,  you've  got  to.  Cap'n  Smol- 
lett's a  fine  seaman,  as  I'll  own  up  to  any  day,  but  stifE  on  discip- 
line. '  Dooty  is  dooty, '  says  he,  and  right  he  is.  Just  you  keep 
clear  of  the  cap'n.  The  doctor  himself  is  gone  dead  again  you — 
'  ungrateful  scamp  '  was  what  he  said;  and  the  short  and  the  long 
of  the  whole  story  is  about  here:  you  can't  go  back  to  your  own  lot, 
for  they  won't  have  j'ou;  and,  without  you  start  a  third  ship's  com- 
pany all  by  yourself,  which  might  be  lonely,  you'll  have  to  jine 
with  Cap'n  Silver." 

So  far  so  good.  My  friends,  then,  were  still  alive,  and  though  1 
partly  believed  the  truth  of  Silver's  statement,  that  the  cabin  party 
were  incensed  at  me  for  my  desertion,  I  was  more  relieved  than  dis- 
tressed by  what  I  heard. 

"  I  don't  say  nothing  as  to  your  being  in  our  hands,"  continued 
Silver,  "  though  there  you  are,  and  you  may  lay  to  it.  I'm  all  for 
argyment;  I  never  seen  good  come  out  o'  threatening.  If  you  like 
the  service,  well,  you'll  jine;  and  if  you  don't,  Jim,  why,  you're 


TREASUEE    ISLAND.  135 

free  to  answer  no — free  and  welcome,  shipmate;  and  if  fairer  can 
be  said  by  mortal  seaman,  shiver  ray  sides!" 

"  Am  I  to  answer,  then?"  I  asked,  with  a  very  tremulous  voice. 
Through  all  this  sneering  talk,  I  was  made  to  feel  the  threat  of 
death  that  overhung  me,  and  my  cheeks  burned  and  my  heart  beat 
painfully  in  my  breast. 

"Lad,"  said  Silver,  "no  one's  a-pressing  of  you.  Take  your 
bearings.  None  of  us  won't  hurry  you,  mate;  time  goes  so  pleasant 
in  your  company,  you  see." 

"  "Well,"  says  I,  growing  a  bit  bolder,  "  if  I'm  to  choose,  I  de- 
clare I  have  a  right  to  know  what's  what,  and  why  you're  here,  and 
where  my  friends  are." 

"  Wot's  wot?"  repeated  one  of  the  buccaneers,  in  a  deep  growl. 
"  Ah,  he'd  be  a  lucky  one  as  knowed  that!" 

"  You'll,  perhaps,  batten  down  your  hatches  till  you're  spoke, 
my  friend,"  cried  Silver,  truculently,  to  this  speaker.  "  Yesterday 
morning,  Mr.  Hawkins,"  said  he,  "  in  the  dog-watch,  down  came 
Doctor  Livesey  with  a  flag  of  truce.  Says  he,  '  Cap'n  Silver, 
you're  sold  out.  Ship's  gone!  Well,  may  be  we'd  been  taking  a 
glass,  and  a  song  to  help  it  round.  I  won't  say  no.  Leastways 
none  of  us  had  looked  out.  We  looked  out,  and,  by  thunder!  the 
old  ship  was  gone.  I  never  seen  a  pack  o'  fools  look  fishier;  and 
you  may  lay  to  that,  if  I  tells  you  that  I  looked  the  fishiest.  '  Well,' 
says  the  doctor,  '  let's  bargain.'  We  bargained,  him  and  I,  and  here 
we  are;  stores,  brandj%  block-hoase,  the  fire- wood  you  was  thought- 
ful enough  to  cut,  and,  in  a  manner  of  speaking,  the  whole  blessed 
boat,  from  cross-trees  to  keelson.  As  for  them,  they've  tramped:  I 
don't  know  Where's  they  are." 

He  drew  again  quietly  at  his  pipe. 

"  And  lest  you  should  take  it  into  that  head  of  yours,"  he  went 
on,  "  that  you  was  included  in  the  treaty,  here's  the  last  word  that 
was  said:  '  How  many  are  you,'  says  I,  '  to  leave?'  '  Four,'  says 
he — '  four  and  one  oi  us  wounded.  As  for  that  boy,  I  don't  know 
where  he  is,  confound  him,'  says  he,  'nor  I  don't  much  care. 
We're  about  sick  of  him.'    These  was  his  words." 

"Is  that  all?"  I  asked. 

"  Well,  it's  all  you're  to  hear,  my  son,"  returned  Silver. 

"  And  now  I  am  to  choose?" 

"  And  now  you  are  to  choose,  and  you  may  lay  to  that,"  &aid 
Silver. 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  am  not  such  a  fool  but  I  know  pretty  well 
what  I  have  to  look  for.     Let  the  worst  come  to  the  worst,  it's  little 


126  TREASUKE    ISLAND. 

I  care.  I've  seen  too  many  die  since  I  fell  in  with  j^ou.  But  there's 
a  thing  or  two  I  have  to  tell  you,"  I  said,  and  by  this  time  I  was 
quite  excited;  "and  the  first  is  this:  here  you  are,  in  a  bud  way; 
ship  lost,  treasure  lost,  men  lost;  your  whole  business  gone  to 
wreck;  and  if  you  want  to  know  who  did  it— it  was  I!  I  was  in 
the  apple  barrel  the  night  we  sighted  land,  and  I  heard  you,  John, 
and  you,  Dick  Johnson,  and  Hands,  who  is  now  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  and  told  every  word  you  said  before  the  hour  was  out. 
And  as  for  the  schooner,  it  was  I  who  cut  her  cable,  and  it  was  I 
who  killed  the  men  you  had  aboard  of  her,  and  it  was  1  who  biought 
her  where  you'll  never  see  her  more,  not  one  of  you.  The  laugh's 
on  my  side;  I've  had  the  top  of  this  business  from  the  first;  I  no 
more  fear  you  than  I  fear  a  fly.  Kill  me,  if  you  please,  or  spare 
me.  But  one  thing  I'll  say,  and  no  more;  if  you  spare  me,  by-gones 
are  by-gones,  and  when  you  fellows  are  in  court  for  piracy,  I'll  save 
you  all  I  can.  It  is  for  you  to  choose.  Kill  another  and  do  your- 
selves no  good,  or  spare  me  and  keep  a  witness  to  save  you  from  the 
gallows." 

I  stopped,  for,  I  tell  you,  I  was  out  of  breath,  and,  to  my  wonder, 
not  a  man  of  them  moved,  but  all  sat  staring  at  me  like  as  many 
sheep.     And  while  they  were  still  staring  I  broke  out  again: 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Silver,"  I  said,  "  I  believe  you're  the  best  man 
here,  and  if  things  go  to  the  worst,  I'll  take  it  kind  of  you  to  let  the 
doctor  know  the  way  I  took  it." 

"  I'll  bear  it  in  mind,"  said  Silver,  with  an  accent  so  curious  that 
I  could  not,  for  the  life  of  me.  decide  whether  he  were  laughing  at 
my  request  or  had  been  favorably  affected  by  my  courage. 

"I'll  put  one  to  that,"  cried  the  old  mahogany  faced  seaman — 
IMorgan  by  name — whom  I  had  seen  ia  Long  John's  public-house 
upon  the  quaj's  of  Bristol     "  It  was  him  that  knowed  Black  Dog." 

"Well,  and  see  here,"  added  the  sea-cook.  "  I'll  put  another 
again  to  that,  bj^  thunder!  for  it  was  this  same  boy  that  faked  the 
chart  from  Billy  Bones.  First  and  last  we've  split  upon  Jim  Haw- 
kinsi" 

"  Then  here  goes!"  said  Morgan,  with  an  oath. 

And  he  sprung  up,  drawing  his  knife  as  if  he  had  been  twenty. 

"  Avast,  there!"  cried  Silver.  "  Who  are  you,  Tom  IMorgan? 
May  be  you  thought  you  were  captain  here,  perhaps.  By  the  powers, 
but  I'll  teach  you  better!  Cross  me,  and  you'll  go  where  many  a 
good  man's  gone  before  you,  first  and  last,  these  thirty  year  back — 
some  to  the  yard-arm,  shiver  my  sides!  and  some  by  the  board,  and 
all  to  feed  the  fishes     There's  never  a  man  looked  me  between  the 


TREASUKE    ISLAND.  127 

eyes  and  seen  a  good  day  a'terward,  Tom  Morgan,  you  may  lay  to 
that." 

Morgan  paused;  but  a  hoarse  murmur  rose  from  the  others. 

"  Tom's  right,"  said  one. 

"  I  stood  hazing  long  enough  from  one,"  added  another.  "  I'll 
be  hanged  if  I'll  be  hazed  by  you,  John  Sliver." 

"  Did  any  of  yon  gentlemen  want  to  have  it  out  with  'ine?"  roared 
Silver,  bending  far  forward  from  his  position  on  the  keg,  with  his 
pipe  still  glowing  in  his  right  hand.  "  Put  a  name  on  what  you're 
at;  you  ain't  dumb,  I  reckon.  Him  that  wants  shall  get  it.  Have 
I  lived  this  many  years,  and  a  son  of  a  rum  puncheon  cock  his  hat 
athwart  my  hawse  at  the  latter  end  of  it?  You  know  the  way; 
you're  all  gentlemen  o'  fortune,  by  your  account.  Well,  I'm  ready. 
Take  a  cutlass  him  that  dares,  and  I'll  see  the  color  of  his  inside, 
crutch  and  all,  before  that  pipe's  empty." 

Not  a  man  stirred;  not  a  man  answered. 

"  That's  your  sort,  is  it?"  he  added,  returning  his  pipe  to  his 
mouth.  "  Well,  you're  a  gay  lot  to  look  at,  any  way.  Not  much 
worth  to  fight,  you  ain't.  P'r'aps  you  can  understand  King 
George's  English.  I'm  cap'n  here  by  'lection.  I'm  cap'n  here  be- 
cause I'm  the  best  man  by  a  long  sea-mile.  You  won't  fight,  as 
gentlemen  o'  fortune  should;  then,  by  thunder,  you'll  obey,  and 
you  may  lay  to  it!  I  like  that  boy,  now;  I  never  seen  a  better  boy 
than  that.  He's  more  a  man  than  any  pair  of  rats  of  you  in  this 
here  house,  and  what  I  say  is  this:  let  me  see  him  as'il  lay  a  hand 
on  him — that's  what  I  say,  and  you  may  lay  to  it." 

There  was  a  long  pause  after  this.  I  stood  straight  up  against 
the  wall,  my  heart  still  going  like  a  sledge-hammer,  but  with  a  ray 
of  hope  now  shining  in  my  bosom.  Silver  leaned  back  against  the 
wall,  his  arms  crossed,  his  pipe  in  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  as  calm 
as  though  he  had  been  in  church;  yet  his  eye  kept  wandering  fur- 
tively, and  he  kept  the  tail  of  it  on  his  unruly  followers.  They,  on 
their  part,  drew  gradually  together  toward  the  far  end  of  the  block- 
house, and  the  low  hiss  of  their  whispering  sounded  in  my  ears 
continuously,  like  a  stream.  One  after  another  they  would  look 
up,  and  the  red  light  of  the  torch  would  fall  for  a  second  on  their 
nervous  faces;  but  it  was  not  toward  me,  it  was  toward  Silver  that 
they  turned  their  eyes, 

"  You  seem  to  have  a  lot  to  say,"  remarked  Silver,  spitting  far 
into  the  air.     "  Pipe  up  and  let  me  hear  it,  or  lay  to." 

"  Ax  your  pardon,  sir,"  returned  one  of  the  men,  "  you're  pretty 
free  with  some  of  the  rules;  may  be  you'll  kindly  keep  an  eye  upo«j 


128  TREASUEE    ISLAND. 

tne  rest.  This  crew's  dissatisfied;  this  crew  don't  vally  bullying  a 
nia'-'linspike;  this  crew  has  its  rights  like  other  crews,  I'll  make  &o 
free  as  that;  and  by  your  own  rules,  I  take  it  we  can  talk  together. 
I  ax  your  pardon,  sir,  acknowledging  you  for  to  be  capting  at  this 
present;  but  I  claim  my  right,  and  steps  outside  for  a  council." 

And  with  an  elaborate  sea-salute,  this  fellow,  a  long,  ill-looking, 
yellow-eyed  man  of  five- and- thirty,  stepped  coolly  toward  the  door 
and  disappeared  out  of  the  house.  One  after  another  the  rest  fol- 
lowed his  example;  each  making  a  salute  as  he  passed;  each  adding 
some  apology.  "  Accordiog  to  rules,"  said  one.  "  Fo'k's'le  coun- 
cil," said  Morgan.  And  so  with  one  remark  or  another  all  marched 
out,  and  left  Silver  and  me  alone  with  the  torch. 

The  sea-cook  instantly  removed  his  pipe. 

"  Now,  look  you  here,  Jim  Hawkins,"  lie  said,  in  a  steady  whis- 
per, that  was  no  more  than  audible,  "  you're  within  half  a  plank  of 
death,  and,  what's  a  long  sight  worse,  of  torture.  They're  going 
to  throw  me  off.  But,  you  mark,  I  stand  hy  you  through  thick 
and  thin.  I  didn't  mean  to;  no,  not  till  you  spoke  up.  I  was 
about  desperate  to  lose  that  much  blunt,  and  be  hanged  into  the 
bargain.  But  I  see  you  was  the  right  sort.  I  says  to  m3rself :  You 
stand  by  Hawkins,  John,  and  Hawkins'U  stand  by  you.  You're 
his  last  card,  and  by  the  living  thunder,  John,  he's  yours!  Back  to 
back,  says  1.     You  save  your  witness,  and  he'll  save  your  neckl" 

I  began  dimly  to  understand. 

"  You  mean  all  is  lost?"  I  asked. 

"  Ay,  by  gum,  I  do  I"  he  answered.  "  Ship  gone,  neck  gone — 
that's  the  size  of  it.  Once  I  looked  into  that  bay,  Jim  Hawkins, 
and  seen  no  schooner — well,  I'm  tough,  but  gave  out.  As  for  that 
lot  and  their  council,  mark  me,  they're  outright  fools  and  cowards. 
I'll  save  j^our  life — if  so  be  as  I  can — from  them.  But,  see  here, 
Jim — tit  for  tat — you  save  Long  John  from  swinging." 

I  was  bewildered;  it  seemed  a  thing  so  hopeless  be  was  asking — 
he,  the  old  buccaneer,  the  ringleader  throughout. 

"  What  I  can  do,  that  I'll  do,"  I  said. 

*'  It's  a  bargain!"  cried  Long  John.  "  You  speak  up  plucky, 
and,  by  thunder!  I've  a  chance." 

He  hobbled  to  the  torch,  where  it  stood  propped  among  the  fire- 
wood, and  took  a  fresh  ^ight  to  his  pipe. 

"Understand  "le,  Jim,"  he  said,  returning.  "I've  a  head  on 
my  shoulders,  i  have.  I'm  on  squire's  .side,  now.  I  know  you've 
5K)t  that  ship  safe  somewheres.  How  you  done  it,  I  don't  know, 
but  safe  it  is.    1  guess  Hands  and  O'Brien  turned  soft.    I  never 


TEEASURE    ISLAND.  139 

much  believed  in  neither  of  them.  Now  you  mark  me.  I  ask  no 
questions,  nor  I  won't  let  others.  I  know  when  a  game's  up,  I  do; 
and  I  know  a  lad  that's  stanch.  Ah,  you  that's  young — you  and 
me  might  have  done  a  power  of  good  together!" 

He  drew  some  cognac  from  the  cask  into  a  tin  canikin. 

"  Will  you  taste,  messmate?"  he  asked;  and  when  I  had  refused; 
"  Well,  I'll  fake  a  drain  myself,  Jim,"  said  he.  "  I  need  a  caulker, 
for  there's  trouble  on  hand.  And,  talking  o'  trouble,  why  did  that 
doctor  give  me  the  chart,  Jim?" 

My  face  expressed  a  wonder  so  unaffected  that  he  saw  the  need- 
lessness  of  further  questions. 

"  Ah,  well,  he  did,  though,"  said  he.  "  And  there's  something 
under  that,  no  doubt — something,  surely,  under  that,  Jim — bad  or 
good. ' ' 

And  he  took  another  swallow  of  the  brandy,  shaking  his  great 
fair  head  like  a  man  who  looks  forward  to  the  worst. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  BLACK  SPOT   AGAIN. 

The  council  of  the  buccaneers  had  lasted  some  time,  when  one  of 
them  re-entered  the  house,  and  with  a  repetition  of  the  same  salule, 
which  had  in  my  eyes  an  ironical  air,  begged  for  a  moment's  loan 
of  the  torch.  Silver  briefly  agreed;  and  this  emissary  retired  again, 
leaving  us  together  in  the  dark. 

"  There's  a  breeze  coming,  Jim,"  said  Silver,  who  had,  by  this 
time,  adopted  quite  a  friendly  and  familiar  tone. 

I  turned  to  the  loop-hole  nearest  me  and  looked  out.  The  embers 
of  the  great  flre  had  so  far  burned  themselves  out,  and  now  glowed 
so  low  and  duskily,  that  I  understood  why  these  conspirators  de- 
sired a  torch.  About  half-way  down  the  slope  to  the  stockade  they 
were  collected  in  a  group;  one  held  the  light;  another  was  on  his 
knees  in  their  midst,  and  I  saw  the  blade  of  an  open  knife  shine  in 
his  hand  with  varying  colors,  in  the  moon  and  torchlight.  The 
rest  were  all  somewhat  stooping,  as  though  watching  the  maneuvers 
of  this  last.  I  could  just  make  out  that  he  ha  1  a  book  as  well  as  a 
knife  in  his  hand;  and  was  still  wondering  how  anything  so  incon- 
gruous had  come  in  their  possession,  when  the  kneeling  figure  rose 
once  more  to  his  feet,  and  the  whole  party  began  to  move  together 
toward  the  house. 

"  Here  they  come,"  said  I;  and  I  returned  to  my  former  position, 

5 


130  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

for  it  seemed  beneath  my  dignity  that  they  should  find  me  watch 
ing  them. 

"  Well,  let  'em  come,  lad— let  'em  come,"  said  Silver,  cheerily. 
"I've  still  a  shot  in  my  locker." 

The  door  opened,  and  the  five  men,  standing  huddled  together 
just  inside,  pushed  one  of  their  number  forward.  In  any  other 
circumstances  it  would  have  been  comical  to  see  his  slow  advances, 
hesitating  as  he  set  down  each  foot,  but  holding  his  closed  right 
hand  in  front  of  him. 

"  Step  up,  lad,"  cried  Silver.  "  I  won't  eat  you.  Hand  it  over, 
lubber.     I  know  the  rules,  I  do;  I  won't  hurt  a  depytation." 

Thus  encouraged  the  buccaneer  stepped  forth  more  briskly,  and 
having  passed  something  to  Silver,  from  hand  to  hand,  slipped  yet 
more  smartly  back  again  to  his  companions. 

The  sea-cook  looked  at  what  had  been  given  him. 

"  The  black  spotl  I  thought  so,"  he  observed.  "  Where  might 
you  have  got  the  paper?  Why,  hillo!  look  here,  now;  this  ain't 
lucky!  You've  gone  and  cut  this  out  of  a  Bible.  What  fool's  cut 
a  Bible?" 

"  Ah,  there!"  said  Morgan — "  there.  Wot  did  I  say?  Ko  good'U 
come  o'  that,  I  said." 

"Well,  you've  about  fixed  it  now,  among  you,"  continued  Sil- 
ver, "  You'll  all  swing  now,  I  reckon.  What  soft-headed  lubber 
had  a  Bible?" 

"  It  was  Dick,"  said  one. 

"  Dick,  was  it?  Then  Dick  can  get  to  prayers,"  said  Silver. 
"  He's  seen  his  slice  of  luck,  has  Dick,  and  j'ou  may  lay  to  that." 

But  here  the  long  man  with  the  yellow  ejes  struck  in. 

"  Belay  that  talk,  John  Silver,"  he  said.  "  This  crew  has  tipped 
you  the  black  spot  iu  full  council,  as  in  dooty  bound;  just  you  turn 
it  over,  as  in  dooty  bound,  and  see  what's  wrote  there.  Then  you 
can  talk." 

"  Thanky,  George,"  replied  the  sea-cook.  "  You  always  was 
brisk  for  business,  and  has  the  rules  by  heart,  George,  as  I'm 
pleased  to  see.  Well,  what  is  it,  any  way?  Ah!  *  Deposed  ' — that's 
it,  is  it?  Very  pretty  wrote,  to  be  sure;  like  print,  I  swear.  Your 
hand  o'  write,  George?  Why,  you  was  gettin'  quite  a  leadin'  man 
in  this  here  crew.  You'll  be  cap'n  next,  I  shouldn't  wonder.  Just 
oblige  me  with  that  torch  again,  will  you?  this  pipe  don't  draw." 

"  Come,  now,"  said  George,  "  you  don't  fool  this  crew  no  more. 
You're  a  funny  man,  by  your  account;  but  you're  over  now,  and 
youli  may  be  step  down  off  that  barrel,  and  h'^lp  vote  " 


TEEASURE    ISLAND.  13 1 

"I  thought  you  said  you  knowed  the  rules,"  returned  Silver, 
contemptuously.  "  Leastways,  if  you  don't,  I  do;  and  I  wait  here 
— and  I'm  still  your  cap'n,  mind — till  you  outs  with  your  griev- 
ances, and  I  reply;  in  the  meantime,  your  black  Rpot  ain't  worth  a 
biscuit.     After  that  we'll  see." 

"  Oh,"  replied  George,  "  you  don't  be  under  no  kind  of  appre- 
hension; we're  all  square,  we  are.  First,  you've  made  a  hash  of 
this  cruise — ^you'll  be  a  bold  man  to  say  no  to  that.  Second,  you 
let  the  enemy  out  o'  this  here  trap  for  nothing.  Why  did  they  want 
out!  I  dunno;  but  it's  prettj--  plain  they  wanted  it.  Third,  you 
wouldn't  let  us  go  at  them  upon  the  march.  Oh,  we  see  through 
you,  John  Silver;  you  want  to  play  booty,  that's  what's  wrong  with 
you.     And  then,  fourth,  there's  this  here  boy." 

"  Is  that  all?"  asked  Silver,  quietly. 

'*  Enough,  too,"  retorted  George.  "  We'll  all  swing  and  sun-dry 
for  your  bungling." 

"  Well,  now,  look  here,  I'll  answer  these  four  p'ints;  one  after 
another  I'll  answer  'em,  I  made  a  hash  o'  this  cruise,  did  I?  Well, 
now,  you  all  Imow  what  I  wanted;  and  you  all  know,  if  that  had 
been  done,  that  we'd  'a'  been  aboard  the  '  Hispaniola  '  this  night  as 
ever  was,  every  man  of  us  alive,  and  fil,  and  full  of  good  plum- 
duff,  and  the  treasure  in  the  hold  of  her,  by  thunderl  Well,  who 
crossed  me?  Who  forced  my  hand,  as  was  the  lawful  cap'n?  Who 
tipped  me  the  black  spot  the  day  we  landed,  and  began  this  dance? 
Ah,  it's  a  fine  dance — I'm  with  you  there- -and  looks  mighty  like  a 
hornpipe  in  a  rope's  end  at  Execution  Dock  by  London  town,  it 
does.  But  who  done  it?  Why,  it  was  Anderson  and  Hands  and 
you,  George  Merrj'-l  And  you're  the  last  above-board  of  that  same 
meddling  crew;  and  you  have  the  Davy  Jones's  insolence  to  up  and 
stand  for  cap'n  over  me — you,  that  sunk  the  lot  of  usl  By  the 
powers!  but  this  tops  the  stiffest  yarn  to  nothing." 

Silver  paused,  and  I  could  see  by  the  faces  of  George  and  his  late 
comrades  that  these  words  had  not  been  said  in  vain. 

"That's  for  number  one,"  cried  the  accused,  wiping  the  sweat 
from  his  brow,  tor  he  had  been  talking  with  a  vehemence  that 
shook  the  house.  *'  Why,  I  give  you  my  word,  I'm  sick  to  speak 
to  you.  You've  neither  sense  nor  memory,  and  I  leave  it  to  fancy 
where  your  mothers  was  that  let  you  come  to  sea.  Sea!  Gentle- 
men o'  fortune!  1  reckon  tailors  is  your  trade." 

"  Go  on,  John,"  said  Morgan.     "  Speak  up  to  the  others." 

"  Ah,  the  othersl"  returned  John.  "  They're  a  nice  lot,  ain't 
they?    You  say  this  cruise  is  bungled.    Ah!  by  gum,  if  you  could 


133  TEEASUKE    ISLAISTD. 

understand  how  bad  it's  bungled,  you  would  seel  We're  that  near 
the  gibbet  that  my  neck's  stiff  with  thinking  on  it.  You've  seen 
*em,  maybe,  hanged  in  chains,  birds  about  'em,  seamen  p'inting 'em 
out  as  they  go  down  with  the  tide.  '  Who's  that?'  says  one, 
'That!  Why,  that's  John  Silver.  I  knowed  him  well,'  says  an- 
other. And  you  can  hear  the  chains  a- jangle  as  you  go  about  and 
reach  for  the  other  buoy.  Now,  that's  about  where  we  are,  every 
mother's  son  of  us,  thanks  to  him,  and  Hands,  and  Anderson,  and 
other  ruination  fools  of  you.  And  if  you  want  to  know  about 
number  four,  and  that  boy,  why,  shiver  my  timbers!  isn't  he  a 
hostage?  Are  we  going  to  waste  a  hostage?  No,  not  us;  he  might 
be  our  last  chance,  and  I  shouldn't  wonder.  Kill  that  boy?  not 
me,  matesi  And  number  three?  All,  well,  there's  a  deal  to  say  to 
number  three.  May  be  you  don't  count  it  nothing  to  have 
a  real  college  doctor  come  to  see  you  every  day — you,  John,  with 
your  head  broke — or  you,  George  Merrj^  that  had  the  ague  shakes 
upon  you  not  six  hours  agoue,  and  has  your  e3'es  the  color  of  lemon 
peel  to  this  same  moment  on  the  clock?  And  may  be,  perhaps,  you 
didn't  know  there  was  a  consort  coming,  either?  But  there  is,  and 
not  so  long  till  then;  and  we'll  see  who'll  be  glad  to  have  a  hostage 
when  it  comes  to  that.  And  as  for  number  two,  and  why  I  made  a 
bargain — well,  you  came  crawling  on  your  knees  to  me  to  make  it — 
on  your  knees  j^ou  came,  you  was  that  down-hearted — and  you'd 
have  starved,  too,  if  I  hadn't — but  that's  a  tritiel  j'ou  look  there— 
that's  whyl" 

And  he  cast  down  upon  the  floor  a  paper  that  I  instantly  recog- 
nized— none  other  than  the  chart  on  yellow  pai)er,  with  the  three 
red  crosses,  that  I  had  found  in  the  oilcloth  at  the  bottom  of  the 
captain's  chest.  Why  the  doctor  had  given  it  to  him  was  more 
than  I  could  fancy. 

But  if  it  were  inexplicable  to  me  the  appearance  of  the  chart  was 
incredible  to  the  surviving  mutineers.  They  leaped  upon  it  like 
cats  upon  a  mouse.  It  went  from  hand  to  hand,  one  tearing  it  from 
another;  and  by  the  oaths  and  the  cries  and  the  childish  laughter 
with  which  they  accompanied  their  examination,  you  would  have 
thought,  not  only  they  were  fingering  the  very  gold,  but  were  at  sea 
with  it,  besides,  in  safety. 

"  Yes,"  said  one,  "  that's  Flint,  sure  enough.  J.  F.,  and  a  score 
b&low,  with  a  clove  hitch  to  it,  so  he  done  ever." 

"  Mighty  pretty,"  said  George.  "  But  how  are  we  to  get  away 
with  it,  and  us  no  ship?'' 

Silver  suddenly  sprung  up,  and  supporting  himself  with  a  hand 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  133 

against  the  wall:  "  Now,  I  give  you  warning,  George,"  he  cried. 
"  One  more  word  of  your  sauce,  and  I'll  call  you  down  and  fight 
you.    How?    Why,  how  do  I  know?    You  had  ought  to  tell  nae 
that — you  and  the  rest,  that  lost  me  my  schooner,  with  your  inter- 
ference, burn  youl    But  not  you,  you  can't;  you  hain't  got  the  in 
vention  of  j,  cockroach.    But  civil  you  can  speak,  and  shall,  George 
Merry,  you  may  lay  to  that." 
"  That's  fair  enow,"  said  the  old  man  Morgan. 
"Fair!  I  reckon  so,"  said  the  sea-cook.     "  You  lost  the  ship;  I 
found  the  treasure.     Who's  the  better  man  at  that?    And  now  I  re- 
sign, by  thunder!    Elect  whom  you  please  to  be  your  cap'n  now; 
I'm  done  with  it." 
"Silver!"  they  cried.     "  Barbecue  forever!  Barbecue  for  cap'n  I" 
"  So  that's  the  toon,  is  it?"  cried  the  cook.     "  George,  I  reckon 
you'll  have  to  wait  another  turn,  friend,  and  lucky  for  you  as  I'm 
not  a  revengeful  man.     But  that  was  never  my  way.    And  now, 
shipmates,  this  blade  spot?    'Tain't  much  good  now,  is  it?    Dick's 
crossed  his  luck  and  spoiled  his  Bible,  and  that's  about  all." 

"  It'll  do  to  kiss  the  book  on  still,  won't  it?"  growled  Dick,  who 
■was  evidently  uneasy  at  the  curse  he  had  brought  upon  himself. 

"  A  Bible  with  a  bit  cut  outi"  returned  Silver,  derisively.  "  Not 
it.     It  don't  bind  no  more'n  a  ballad-book." 

"  Don't  it,  though?"  cried  Dick,  with  a  sort  of  joy.  "  Well,  I 
reckon  that's  worth  having,  too." 

"  Here,  Jim — here's  a  cur'osity  for  you,"  said  Silver;  and  he 
tossed  me  the  paper. 

It  was  a  round  about  the  size  of  a  crown-piece.  One  side  was 
blank,  for  it  had  been  the  last  leaf;  the  other  contained  a  verse  or 
two  of  Revelation — these  words  among  the  rest,  which  struck  sharp- 
ly home  upon  my  mind:  "  Without  are  dogs  and  murderers."  The 
printed  side  had  been  blackened  with  wood-ash,  which  already  be- 
gan to  come  off  and  soil  my  fingers;  on  the  blank  side  had  been 
written  with  the  same  material  the  one  word,  "  Deposed."  I  have 
that  curiosity  beside  me  at  this  moment;  but  not  a  trace  of  writing 
now  remains  beyond  a  single  scratch,  such  as  a  man  might  make 
with  his  thumb-nail. 

That  was  the  end  of  the  night's  business.  Soon  after,  with  a  drink 
all  round,  we  lay  down  to  sleep,  and  the  outside  of  Silver's  venge- 
ance was  to  put  George  Merry  up  for  sentinel,  and  threaten  him 
with  death  if  he  should  prove  unfaithful. 

It  was  long  ere  I  could  close  an  eye,  and  Heaven  knows  I  had 
matter  enough  for  thought  in  the  man  whom  I  had  slain  that  after 


134  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

noon,  in  my  own  most  perilous  position,  and,  above  all,  In  the  re 
markable  game  that  I  saw  Silver  now  engaged  upon— keeping  the 
mutineers  together  with  one  hand,  and  grasping,  with  the  other, 
after  every  means,  possible  and  impossible,  to  make  his  peace  and 
save  his  miserable  life.  He  himself  slept  peacefully,  and  snored 
aloud;  yet  my  heart  was  sore  for  him,  wicked  as  he  was,  to  think 
on  the  dark  perils  that  environed,  and  the  shameful  gibbet  that 
awaited  him. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

ON  PAROLE. 

I  WAS  wakened — indeed,  we  were  all  wakened,  for  I  could  see 
even  the  sentinel  shake  himself  together  trom  where  he  had  fallen 
against  the  door-post  by  a  clear,  hearty  voice  hailing  us  from  the 
margin  of  the  wood: 

'*  Block-house,  ahoyl"  it  cried.     "  Here's  the  doctor." 

And  the  doctor  it  was.  Although  I  was  glad  to  hear  the  sound, 
yet  my  gladness  was  not  without  admixture.  I  remembered  with 
confusion  my  insubordinate  and  stealthy  conduct;  and  when  I  saw 
where  it  had  brought  me — among  what  companions  and  surrounded 
by  what  dangers — I  felt  ashamed  to  look  him  in  the  face. 

He  must  have  risen  in  the  dark,  for  the  day  had  hardly  come; 
and  when  I  ran  to  a  loophole  and  looked  out,  1  saw  him  standing, 
like  Silver  once  before,  up  to  the  mid  leg  in  creeping  vapor. 

"You,  doctor!  Top  o'  the  morning  to  you,  sirl"  cried  Silver, 
broad  awake  and  beaming  with  good  nature  in  a  moment.  "  Bright 
and  early,  to  be  sure;  and  it's  the  earl}''  bird,  as  the  saying  goes, 
that  gets  the  rations.  George,  shake  up  your  timbers,  son,  and  help 
Doctor  Livesey  over  the  ship's  side.  All  a-doin'  well,  your  patients 
was — all  well  and  merry." 

So  he  pattered  on,  standing  on  the  hill-top,  with  his  crutch  under 
Lis  elbow,  and  one  hand  upon  the  side  of  the  log  house — quite  the 
old  John  in  voice,  manner,  and  expression, 

"We've  quite  a  surprise  for  you,  too,  sir,"  he  continued 
"  We've  a  little  stranger  here— he!  he!  A  noo  boarder  and  lodger, 
sir,  and  looking  fit  and  taut  as  a  fiddle;  slep'  like  a  supercargo,  he 
did,  right  alongside  of  John — stem  to  stem  we  was,  all  night," 

Dr.  Livesey  was  by  this  time  across  the  stockade  and  pretty  neai 
the  cook;  and  I  could  hear  the  alteration  in  his  voice  as  he  said: 

":NotJim?" 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  135 

"  The  very  same  Jim  as  ever  was,"  says  Silver 

The  doctor  stopped  outright,  although  he  did  not  speak,  and  it 
was  some  seconds  before  he  seemed  able  to  move  on. 

"Well,  well,  '  he  said  at  last,  "  duty  first  and  pleasure  after- 
ward, as  you  might  have  said  yourself,  Silver.  Let  us  overhaul 
these  patients  of  yours." 

A  moment  afterward  he  had  entered  the  block-house,  and,  with 
one  grim  nod  to  me,  proceeded  with  his  work  among  the  sick.  He 
seemed  to  me  under  no  apprehension,  though  he  must  have  known 
that  his  life,  among  these  treacherous  demons,  depended  on  a  hair; 
and  he  rattled  on  to  his  patients  as  if  he  were  paying  an  ordinary 
professional  visit  in  a  quiet  English  family.  His  manner,  I  suppose, 
reacted  on  the  men;  for  tbey  behaved  to  him  as  if  nothing  had  oc- 
curred—as if  he  were  still  ship's  doctor,  and  they  still  faithful 
hands  before  the  mast. 

"  You're  doing  well,  my  friend,"  he  said  to  the  fellow  with  the 
bandaged  head,  "  and  if  ever  any  person  had  a  close  shave,  it  was 
you;  your  head  must  be  as  hard  as  iron.  Well,  George,  how  goes 
it?  You're  a  pretty  color,  certainly;  why,  your  liver,  man,  is  up- 
side down.  Did  you  take  that  medicine?  Did  he  take  that  medi- 
cine, men?" 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,  he  took  it,  sure  enough,"  returned  Morgan. 

"  Because,  you  see,  since  I  am  mutineers'  doctor,  or  prison  doctor, 
as  I  prefer  to  call  it,"  says  Dr.  Livesey,  in  his  pleasantest  way,  "  I 
make  it  a  point  of  honor  not  to  lose_a  man  for  King  George  (God 
bless  him!)  and  the  gallows." 

The  rogues  looked  at  each  other,  but  swallowed  the  home-thrust 
in  silence. 

*'  Dick  don't  feel  well,  sir,"  said  one. 

"  Don't  he?"  replied  the  doctor.  "  Well,  step  up  here,  Dick, 
and  let  me  see  your  tongue.  No,  I  should  be  surprised  if  he  did; 
the  man's  tongue  is  fit  to  frighten  the  French.     Another  fever." 

"  Ah,  there,"  said  Morgan,  "  that  corned  of  sp'iling  Bibles." 

"  That  comed— as  you  call  it — of  being  arrant  asses,"  retorted  the 
doctor,  "  and  not  having  sense  enough  to  know  honest  air  from 
poison,  and  the  dry  land  from  a  vile,  pestiferous  slough.  I  think  it 
most  probable — though,  of  course,  it's  only  an  opinion — that  you'll 
all  have  the  deuce  to  pay  before  you  get  that  malaria  out  of  your 
systems.  Camp  in  a  bog,  would  you?  Silver,  I'm  surprised  at  you. 
You're  less  of  a  fool  than  many,  take  you  all  round;  but  you  don't 
appear  to  me  to  have  the  rudiments  of  a  notion  of  the  rules  of  health. 
Well,"  he  added,  aft*"'  he  had  docdihem  round,  and  they  had 


136  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

taken  his  prescriptions,  with  really  laughable  humility,  more  like 
charity  school  children  than  blood  guilty  mutineers  and  pirates— 
"  well,  that's  done  for  to  day.  And  now  1  should  wish  to  have  a 
talk  with  that  boy,  please." 

And  he  nodded  his  head  in  my  direction  carelessly. 

Greorge  Merry  was  at  the  door,  spitting  and  spluttering  over  some 
bad-tasted  medicine;  but  at  the  first  word  of  the  doctor's  proposal 
he  swung  round  with  a  deep  tlush,  and  cried,  "  Nol"  and  swore. 

Silver  struck  the  barrel  with  his  open  hand. 

"  Si-lence!"  he  roared,  and  looked  about  him  positively  like  a 
lion.  "  Doctor,"  he  went  on,  in  his  usual  tones,  "  I  was  a-think- 
ing  of  that,  knowing  as  how  you  had  a  fancy  for  the  boy.  We're 
all  humbly  grateful  for  your  kindness,  and,  as  you  see,  puts  faith 
in  you,  and  takes  the  drugs  down  like  that  much  grog  And  I  take 
it  I've  found  a  way  as'U  suit  all.  Hawkins,  will  you  give  me  your 
word  of  honor  as  a  young  gentleman — for  a  young  gentleman  you 
are,  although  poor  born — your  word  of  honor  not  to  slip  your  cable?" 

1  readily  gave  the  pledge  required. 

"  Then,  doctor,"  said  Silver,  "  j^ou  just  step  outside  o'  that  stock- 
ade, and  once  you're  there,  I'll  bring  the  boy  down  on  the  inside, 
and  I  reckon  you  can  yarn  through  the  spars.  Good  day  to  you, 
sir,  and  all  our  dooties  to  the  squire  and  Cap'n  Smollett." 

The  explosion  of  disapproval,  which  nothing  but  Silver's  black 
looks  had  restraitied,  broke  out  immediately  the  doctor  had  left  the 
house.  Silver  was  roundly  accused  of  playing  double — of  trying  to 
make  a  separate  peace  for  himself — of  sacrificing  the  interests  of  his 
accomplices  and  victims;  and,  in  one  word,  of  the  identical,  exact 
thing  that  he  was  doing.  It  seemed  to  me  so  obvious,  in  this  case, 
that  I  could  not  imagine  how  he  was  to  turn  their  anger.  But  he 
was  twice  the  man  the  rest  were;  and  his  last  night's  victory  had 
given  him  a  huge  preponderance  on  their  minds.  He  called  them 
nil  the  fools  and  dolts  you  can  imagine,  said  it  was  necessary  I 
should  talk  to  the  doctor,  fluttered  the  chart  in  their  faces,  asked 
them  if  they  could  afford  to  break  the  treaty  the  ver}'^  day  they  were 
bound  a-treasure-hunting. 

"  No,  by  thunderl"  he  cried,  "  it's  us  must  break  the  treaty 
when  the  time  comes:  and  till  then  I'll  gammon  that  doctor,  if  I 
have  to  ile  his  boots  with  brandy. ' ' 

And  then  he  bade  them  get  the  fire  lighted,  and  stalked  out  upon 
his  crutch,  with  his  hand  on  my  shouWer,  leaving  them  in  a  dis- 
array, and  silenced  by  his  volubility  lather  than  convinced. 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  137 

"  Slow,  lad,  slow,"  he  said.  "  They  might  round  upon  us  in  a 
twinkle  of  an  eye,  if  we  was  seen  to  hurry." 

Very  deliberately,  then,  did  we  advance  across  the  sand  to  where 
the  doctor  waited  us  on  the  other  side  of  the  stockade,  and  as  soon 
as  we  were  wthin  easy  spealving  distance,  Silver  stopped. 

"  You'll  make  a  note  of  this  here  also,  doctor,"  says  he,  "  and  the 
boy'h  tell  you  how  I  saved  his  life,  and  were  deposed  for  it,  too, 
and  you  may  lay  to  that.  Doctor,  when  a  man's  steering  as  near 
the  wind  as  me — playing  chuck-farthing  with  the  last  breath  in  his 
body,  like— you  wouldn't  think  it  too  much,  mayhap,  to  give  him 
one  good  word!  Youll  please  bear  in  mind  it's  not  my  life  only 
now — it's  that  boy  into  the  bargain;  and  you'll  speak  me  fair,  doc- 
tor, and  give  me  a  bit  o*  hope  to  go  on,  for  the  sake  of  mercy." 

Silver  was  a  changed  man,  once  he  was  out  there  and  had  his 
back  to  his  friends  and  the  block-house;  his  cheeks  seemed  to  have 
fallen  in,  his  voice  trembled;  never  was  a  soul  more  dead  in  earnest. 

"  Why,  John,  you're  not  afraid?"  asked  Dr.  Livesey. 

"  Doctor,  I'm  no  coward;  no,  not  I — not  sc  much!"  and  he 
snapped  his  fingers  "  If  I  was  I  wouldn't  say  it.  But  I'll  own 
up  fairly  I've  the  shakes  upon  me  for  the  gallows.  You're  a  good 
man  and  a  true;  I  never  seen  a  better  man!  And  you'll  not  forget 
what  1  done  good,  not  an}'  more  than  j^ou'll  forget  the  bad,l  know. 
And  I  step  aside — see  here — and  leave  you  and  Jim  alone.  And 
you'll  put  tnat  down  for  me  too,  for  it  s  a  long  stretch,  is  that!" 

So  saying,  he  stepped  back  a  little  way  till  he  was  out  of  ear-shot, 
and  there  sat  down  upon  a  tree-stump  and  began  to  whistle;  spin- 
ning round  now  and  again  upon  his  seat  so  as  to  command  a  sight 
sometimes  of  me  and  the  doctor,  and  sometimes  of  his  unruly  ruf- 
fians as  they  went  to  and  fro  in  the  sand,  between  the  fire — which 
they  were  busy  rekindling — and  the  house,  from  which  they  brought 
forth  pork  and  bread  to  make  the  breakfast. 

'*  So,  Jim,"  said  the  doctor,  sadly,  "  here  you  are.  As  you  have 
brewed,  so  shall  you  drink,  my  boy.  Heaven  knows,  I  can  not  find 
it  in  my  heart  to  blame  you;  but  this  much  1  will  say,  be  it  kind  or 
unkind:  when  Captain  Smollett  was  well,  you  dared  not  have  gone 
off;  and  when  he  was  ill,  and  couldn't  help  it,  by  George,  it  was 
downright  cowardly!" 

1  will  own  that  1  here  began  to  weep.  "  Doctor,"  I  said,  "  you 
might  spare  me.  I  have  blamed  myself  enough;  ray  life's  forfeit 
any  way,  and  1  should  have  been  dead  now,  if  Silver  hadn't  stood 
for  me;  and,  doctor,  believe  this,  I  can  die — and  I  dare  say  I  de- 
serve U — "bnt  what  I  fear  is  torture.    If  they  come  to  torture  me — '* 


138  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

"  Jim,  the  doctor  interrupted,  and  his  voice  was  quite  changed, 
"  Jim,  I  can't  have  this.     Whip  over,  and  we'll  run  for  it." 

"  Doctor,"  said  I,  "  I  passed  my  word." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  he  cried.  "  "We  can't  help  that,  Jim,  now. 
I'll  take  it  on  my  shoulders,  holus  bolus,  blame  and  shame,  my  boy; 
but  stay  here,  I  can  not  let  you.  JumpI  One  jump,  and  you're 
out,  and  we'll  run  for  it  like  antelopes." 

"  No,"  I  replied,  "  you  know  right  well  you  wouldn't  do  the  thing 
yourself:  neither  you,  nor  squire,  nor  captain;  and  no  more  will  I. 
Silver  trusted  me;  I  passed  my  word,  v.nd  back  I  go.  But,  doctor, 
you  did  not  let  me  finish.  If  they  come  to  torture  me,  1  might  let 
slip  a  word  of  where  the  ship  is;  fori  got  the  ship,  part  by  luck  and 
part  by  risking,  and  she  lies  in  North  Inlet,  on  the  southern  beach, 
and  just  below  high  water.  At  half- tide  she  must  be  high  and  dry." 

"  The  ship!"  exclaimed  the  doctor. 

Rapidly  I  described  to  him  my  adventures,  and  he  heard  me  out 
in  silence. 

"  There  is  a  kind  of  fate  in  this,"  he  observed,  when  I  had  done. 
"  Every  step  it's  you  that  saves  our  lives;  and  do  j^ou  suppose  by 
any  chance  that  we  are  going  to  let  you  lose  yoursV  That  would 
be  a  poor  return,  my  boy.  You  found  out  the  plot;  you  found  Ben 
Gunn — the  best  deed  that  ev  r  you  did,  or  will  do,  though  you  live 
to  ninety.  Oh,  by  Jupiter!  and  talking  of  Ben  Gunn,  why,  this  is 
the  mischief  in  person.  Silver!"  he  cried,  'Silver!  I'll  give  you 
a  piece  of  advice,"  he  continued,  as  the  cook  drew  near  again; 
"  don't  you  be  in  auy  great  hurry  after  that  treasure." 

"  Why,  sir,  I  do  my  possible,  which  that  ain't,"  said  Silver.  "  1 
can  only,  asking  your  pardon,  save  my  life  and  the  boy's  by  seek- 
ing for  that  treasure,  and  you  may  lay  to  that." 

"  Well,  Silver,'  replied  the  doctor,  "  if  that  is  so,  I'll  go  one  step 
further;  look  out  for  squalls  when  you  find  it!" 

"  Sir,"  said  Silver,  "  as  between  man  and  man,  that's  too  much 
and  too  little.  What  you're  after,  why  you  left  the  block-house, 
why  you  given  me  that  there  chart,  I  don't  know  now,  do  I?  and 
yet  I  done  your  bidding  with  my  eyes  shut  and  never  a  word  ot 
hope!  But  no,  this  here's  too  much.  If  you  won't  tell  me  what 
you  mean  plain  out,  just  say  sc ,  and  I'll  leave  the  helm.'* 

"No,"  said  the  doctor,  musingl^^  "I've  no  right  to  say  more, 
it's  not  my  secret,  j'ou  see.  Silver,  or,  I  give  you  my  word,  I'd  tel' 
it  you.    But  I'll  go  as  far  with  you  as  I  dare  go,  and  a  step  beyond 
for  I'll  have  my  wig  sorted  by  the  captain,  or  I'm  mislakenl    And, 


TEEASTJRE    ISLAN-D.  139 

first,  IT.,  give  you  a  bit  of  hope;  Silver,  if  we  both  get  alive  out  of 
this  wolf- trap,  I'll  do  my  best  to  have  you,  short  of  perjury," 

Silver's  face  was  radiant.  "  You  couldn't  say  more,  I'm  sure,  sir, 
not  if  you  was  my  mother,"  he  cried. 

"  Well,  that's  my  first  concession,"  added  the  doctor.  "My 
second  is  a  piece  of  advice  •  Keep  the  boy  close  beside  you,  and 
when  you  need  help,  halloo.  I'm  off  to  seek  it  for  you,  and  that  it 
self  will  show  you  if  I  speak  at  random.     Good-bye,  Jim." 

And  Dr.  Livesey  shook  hands  with  me  through  the  stockade, 
nodded  to  Silver,  and  set  oil  at  a  brisk  pace  into  the  wood. 


CHAPTEK  XXXI. 

THE  TREASUUE-HUNT     FLINT'S  POtNTEB. 

"Jim,"  said  Silver,  when  we  were  alone,  "if  I  saved  your  life, 
you  saved  mine;  and  I'll  not  forget  it,  I  seen  the  doctor  waving 
you  to  run  for  it — with  the  tail  of  my  eye,  I  did;  and  I  seen  you  say 
no,  as  plain  as  hearing.  Jim,  that's  one  to  you.  This  is  the  first 
glint  of  hope  I  had  since  the  attack  failed,  and  I  owe  it  you.  And 
now.  Jim,  we're  to  go  in  for  this  here  treasure-hunting,  with  sealed 
orders,  too.  and  I  don't  like  it;  and  you  and  me  must  stick  close, 
back  to  back  like,  and  we'll  save  our  necks  in  spite  o'  fate  and  fort- 
une." 

Just  then  a  man  hailed  us  from  the  fire  that  breakfast  was  ready, 
and  we  were  soon  seated  here  and  there  about  the  sand  over  biscuit 
and  fried  junk.  They  had  lighted  a  fire  fit  to  roast  an  ox;  and  it 
was  now  grown  so  hot  that  they  could  only  approach  it  from  the 
windward,  and  even  there  not  without  precaution.  In  the  same 
wasteful  spirit,  they  had  cooked,  I  suppose,  three  times  more  than 
we  could  eat;  and  one  of  them,  with  an  empty  laugh,  threw  what 
was  left  into  the  fire,  which  blazed  and  roared  again  over  this  un- 
usual fuel.  I  never  in  my  life  saw  men  so  careless  of  the  morrow; 
hand  to  mouth  is  the  only  word  that  can  describe  their  way  of  do- 
ing; and  what  with  wasted  food  and  sleeping  sentries,  though  they 
were  bold  enough  for  a  brush  and  be  done  with  it,  I  could  see  their 
entire  unfitness  for  anything  like  a  prolonged  campaign. 

Even  Silver,  eating  away,  with  Captain  Flint  upon  his  shoulder, 
had  not  a  word  of  blame  for  their  recklessness.  And  this  the  more 
surprised  me,  for  I  thought  he  had  never  shown  himself  so  cun 
ning  as  he  did  then. 

"Ay,  mates,"  said  he,  "it's  lucky  you  have  Barbecue  to  think 


140  TREASUR-E    TSLANI>. 

for  you  with  this  here  head,  I  got  what  I  wanted,  I  did.  oute 
enough,  they  have  the  ship.  Where  they  have  it,  I  don't  know  yet; 
but  once  we  hit  the  treasure,  we'll  have  to  jump  about  and  find  out. 
And  then,  mates,  us  that  has  the  boats,  I  reckon,  has  the  ui^per  hand." 

Thus  he  kept  running  on,  with  his  mouth  full  of  the  hot  bacon; 
thus  he  restored  their  hope  and  confidence,  and,  I  more  than  sus- 
pect, repaired  his  own  at  the  same  time. 

"  As  for  hostage,"  he  continued,  "  that's  his  last  talk,  I  guess, 
with  them  he  loves  so  dear.  I've  got  my  piece  o'  news,  and  thanky 
to  him  for  that;  but  it's  over  and  done.  I'll  take  him  in  a  line 
when  we  go  treasure-hunting,  for  we'll  keep  him  like  so  much  gold, 
in  case  of  accidents,  you  mark,  and  in  the  meantime,  once  we  got 
the  ship  and  treasure  both,  and  off  to  sea  like  jolly  companions, 
why,  then  we'll  talk  Mr.  Hawkins  over,  we  will,  and  we'll  give  him 
his  share,  to  be  sure,  for  all  his  kindness." 

It  was  no  wonder  the  men  were  in  a  good  humor  now.  For  my 
part,  I  was  horribly  cast  down.  Should  the  scheme  he  had  now 
sketched  prove  feasible.  Silver,  already  doubly  a  traitor,  would  not 
hesitate  to  adopt  it.  He  had  still  a  foot  in  either  camp,  and  there 
was  no  doubt  he  would  prefer  wealth  and  freedom  with  the  pirates 
to  a  bare  escape  from  hanging,  which  was  the  best  he  had  to  hope 
on  our  side. 

Nay,  and  even  if  things  so  fell  out  that  he  was  forced  to  keep  his 
faith  with  Dr.  Livesey,  even  then  what  danger  lay  before  us! 
What  a  moment  that  would  be  when  the  suspicions  of  his  followers 
turned  to  certainty,  and  he  and  I  should  have  to  fight  for  dear  life 
— he,  a  cripple,  and  I,  a  boy — against  five  strong  and  active  seameni 

Add  to  this  double  apprehension,  the  mystery  that  still  hung  over 
the  behavior  of  my  friends;  their  unexplained  desertion  of  the 
slockade;  their  inexplicable  cession  of  the  chart;  or,  harder  still  to 
understand,  the  doctor's  last  warning  to  Silver,  "  Look  out  for 
squalls  when  j'ou  find  it;"  and  you  will  readily  believe  how  little 
taste  I  found  in  my  breakfast,  and  with  how  uneasy  a  heart  I  set 
forth  behind  my  captors  on  the  quest  for  treasure. 

We  made  a  curious  figure,  had  any  one  been  there  to  see  us;  all 
in  soiled  sailor  clothes,  and  all  but  me  armed  to  ihe  teeth.  Silver 
had  two  guns  slung  about  him,  one  before  and  one  behind — besides 
the  great  cutlass  at  his  waist,  and  a  pistol  in  each  pocket  of  his 
square-tailed  coat.  To  complete  his  stnmge  appearance,  Captain 
Flint  sat  perched  upon  his  shoulder  and  gabbled  odds  and  ends  of 
purposeless  sea-talk.  I  had  a  line  about  my  waist,  and  foUowea 
oheniently  after  the  sea  cook,  who  held  the  loose  end  of  the  rope, 


TREASTJEE    ISLAND.  141 

now  in  his  free  hand,  now  between  his  powerful  teeth.    For  all  the 
world,  I  was  led  like  a  dancing  bear. 

The  other  men  were  variously  burdened;  some  carrying  picks 
and  shovels — for  that  had  been  the  very  first  necessary  they  brought 
ashore  from  the  "  Hispaniola  " — others  laden  with  pork,  bread,  and 
brandy  for  the  midday  meal.  All  thw  stores,  I  jbserved,  came  from 
our  stock;  and  I  could  see  the  truth  of  Silver's  words  the  night  be- 
fore. Had  he  not  struck  a  bargain  with  the  doctor  he  and  his 
mutineers,  deserted  by  the  ship,  must  have  beeu  driven  to  subsist 
on  clear  water,  and  the  proceeds  of  their  hunting.  Water  would 
have  been  little  to  their  taste;  a  sailor  isnot  usually  a  good  shot; 
and,  Desides  all  that,  when  they  were  so  short  of  eatables,  it  was  not 
likely  they  would  be  very  flush  of  powder. 

Well,  thus  equipped,  we  all  set  out — even  the  fellow  with  the 
broken  head,  who  should  certainly  have  kept  in  shadow — and  strag- 
gled, one  after  another,  to  the  beach,  where  the  two  gigs  awaited 
us.  Even  these  bore  trace  of  the  drunken  folly  of  the  pirates,  one 
in  a  broken  thwart,  and  both  in  their  muddled  and  unbailed  condi- 
tion. Both  were  to  be  carried  along  with  us,  for  the  sake  of  safety; 
and  so,  with  our  numbers  divided  between  them,  we  set  forth  upon 
the  bosom  of  the  anchorage. 

As  we  pulled  over  there  was  some  discussion  on  the  chart.  The 
red  cross  was,  of  course,  far  too  large  to  be  a  guide;  and  the  terms 
of  the  note  on  the  back,  as  you  will  hear,  admitted  of  some  am- 
biguity.   They  ran,  the  reader  may  remember,  thus: 

"  Tall  tree.  Spy-glass  shoulder,  bearing  a  point  to  the  N.  of 
N.  N.  E. 

"  Skeleton  Island  E.  S.  E.  and  by  E. 
"  Ten  feet." 

A  tall  tree  was  thus  the  principal  mark.  Now,  right  before  us, 
the  anchorage  was  bounded  by  a  plateau  from  two  to  three  hundred 
feet  high,  adjoining  on  the  north  the  sloping  southern  shoulder  of 
the  Spy-glass,  and  rising  again  toward  the  south  into  the  rough. 
Cliffy  eminence  called  the  Mizzen-mast  Hill.  The  fop  of  the  plateau 
was  dotted  thickly  with  pine  trees  of  varying  height.  Every  here 
and  there,  one  of  a  different  species  rose  forty  or  fifty  feet  clear 
above  its  neighbors,  and  which  of  these  was  the  particular  "  tali 
tree  "  of  Captain  Flint  could  only  be  decided  on  the  spot,  and  by 
the  readings  of  the  compass. 

Yet,  although  that  was  the  case,  every  man  on  board  the  boats  had 
picked  a  favorite  of  his  own  ere  we  were  half-way  over,  Long  Jinj 


143  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

alone  shrugging  his  shoulders  and  bidding  them  wait  till  they  were 
there. 

We  pulled  easiiy,  by  Silver's  directions,  not  to  weary  the  hands 
prematurely;  and,  after  quite  a  long  passage,  landed  at  the  mouth 
of  the  second  river — that  which  runs  down  a  woody  cleft  of  the 
Spy-glass.  Thence,  bending  to  our  left,  we  began  to  ascend  the 
slope  toward  the  plateau. 

At  the  first  outset,  heavy,  miry  ground  and  a  matted,  marsh  vege- 
tation, greatly  delayed  our  progress;  but  by  little  and  little  the  hill 
began  to  steepen  and  become  stony  under-foot,  and  the  wood  to 
change  its  character  and  to  grow  in  a  more  open  order.  It  was,  in- 
deed, a  most  pleasant  portion  of  the  island  that  we  were  now  ap- 
proaching. A  heavy-scented  broom  and  many  flowering  shrubs 
had  almost  taken  the  place  of  grass.  Thickets  of  green  nutmeg- 
trees  were  dotted  here  and  there  with  the  red  columns  and  the 
broad  shadow  of  the  pines;  and  the  first  mingled  their  spice  with 
the  aroma  of  the  others.  The  air,  besides,  was  fresh  and  stirring, 
and  this,  under  the  sheer  sunbeams,  was  a  wonderful  refreshment 
to  our  senses. 

The  party  spread  itself  abroad,  in  a  fan  shape,  shouting  and  leap- 
ing to  and  fro.  About  the  center,  and  a  good  wa}^  behind  the  rest. 
Silver  and  I  followed — I  tethered  by  my  rope,  he  plowing,  with 
deep  pants,  among  the  sliding  gravel.  From  time  to  time,  indeed, 
I  had  to  lend  him  a  hand,  or  he  must  have  missed  his  footing  and 
fallen  backward  down  the  hill. 

"We  had  thus  proceeded  for  about  half  a  mile,  and  were  approach- 
ing the  brow  of  the  plateau,  when  the  man  upon  the  furthest  left 
began  to  cry  aloud,  as  if  in  terror.  Shout  after  shout  came  from 
him,  and  the  others  began  to  run  in  his  direction. 

"  He  can't  have  found  the  treasure,"  said  old  Morgan,  hurrying 
past  us  from  the  right,  "  for  that's  clean  a-top." 

Indeed,  as  we  found  when  we  also  reached  the  spot,  it  was  some- 
thing very  different.  At  the  foot  of  a  pretty  big  pine,  and  involved 
in  a  green  creeper,  which  had  even  partly  lifted  some  of  the  smaller 
bones,  a  human  skeleton  lay,  with  a  few  shreds  of  clothing,  on  the 
ground.    I  believe  a  chill  struck  for  a  moment  to  every  heart. 

"He  was  a  seaman,"  said  George  Merry,  who,  bolder  than  the 
rest,  had  gone  up  close,  and  was  examining  the  rags  of  clothing. 
"  Leastways,  this  is  good  sea-cloth." 

"  Ay,  ay."  said  Silver,  "  like  enough;  j^ou  wouldn't  look  to  find 
a  bishop  here,  I  reckon.  But  what  sort  of  a  way  is  that  for  bones 
to  lie?    'Tain't  in  natur'." 


TEEASURE    ISLAND.  143 

Indeed,  on  a  second  glance,  it  seemed  impossible  to  fancy  that  the 
body  was  in  a  natural  position.  But  for  some  disarray  (the  work, 
perhaps,  of  the  birds  that  had  fed  upon  him,  or  of  the  slow-growing 
creeper  that  had  gradually  enveloped  his  remains)  the  man  lay  per- 
fectly straight— his  feet  pointing  in  one  direction,  his  hands,  raised 
above  his  head  lilie  a  diver's,  pointing  directly  in  the  opposite. 

"I've  taken  a  notion  into  ray  old  numskull,"  observed  Silver. 
"  Here's  the  compass;  there's  the  tiptop  p'int  of  Skeleton  Island, 
stickin'  out  like  a  tooth.  Just  take  a  bearing,  will  you,  along  the 
line  of  them  bones." 

It  was  done.  The  body  pointed  straight  in  the  direction  of  the 
island,  and  the  compass  read  duly  E.  S.  E.  by  E. 

"  1  thought  so,"  cried  the  cook;  "  this  here  is  a  p'inter.  Right 
up  there  is  our  line  for  the  Pole  Star  and  the  jolly  dollars.  But,  by 
thunder!  if  it  don't  make  me  cold  inside  to  think  of  Flint.  This  is 
one  of  Ms  jokes,  and  no  mistake.  Him  and  these  six  was  alone 
here;  he  killed  'em,  every  man;  and  this  one  he  hauled  here  and 
laid  down  by  compass,  shiver  my  timbers!  They're  long  bones, 
and  the  hair's  been  yellow.  Ay,  that  would  be  Allardyce.  You 
mind  Allardyce,  Tom  Jlorgan?" 

"  Ay,  ay,"  returned  Morgan,  "  I  mind  him;  he  owed  me  money, 
he  did,  and  look  my  knife  ashore  with  him." 

"  Speaking  of  knives,"  said  another,  "  whj^  don't  we  find  his'n 
lying  round?  Flint  warn't  the  man  to  pick  a  seaman's  pocket;  and 
the  birds,  I  guess,  would  leave  it  be." 

"  By  the  powers,  and  that's  true!"  cried  Silver. 

"There  ain't  a  thing  left  here,"  said  Merry,  still  feeling  round 
among  the  bones,  "not  a  copper  doit  nor  a  baccy  box.  It  don't 
look  nat'ralto  me." 

"No,  by  gum,  it  don't,"  agreed  Silver;  "not  nat'ral,  nor  not 
nice,  says  you.  Great  guns!  messmates,  but  if  Flint  was  living, 
this  would  be  a  hot  spot  for  you  and  me.  Six  they  were,  and  six 
are  we;  and  bones  is  what  they  are  now." 

"  I  saw  him  dead  with  these  here  deadlights,"  said  Morgan. 
"  Billy  took  me  in.     There  he  laid,  with  penny-pieces  on  his  eyes." 

"Dead — ay,  sure  enough  he's  dead  and  gone  below,"  said  me 
fellow  with  the  bandage;  "  but  if  ever  sperrit  walked,  it  would  be 
Flint's.     Dear  heart,  but  he  died  bad,  did  Flint!" 

"  Ay,  that  he  did,"  observed  another;  "  now  he  raged,  and  now 
he  hollered  for  the  rum,  and  now  he  sung.  '  Fifteen  Men  '  were 
bis  only  song,  mates;  and  I  tell  you  true,  I  never  rightly  liked  to 
hear  it  since     It  was  main  hot,  and  the  windy  was  open,  and  I  heas 


144  TREASUEE    ISLAND. 

that  old  song  comin'  out  as  clear  as  clear — and  the  death-haul  on  th* 
man  already." 

"  Come,  come,"  said  Silver,  "  stow  this  talk.  He's  dead,  and  he 
dont  walk,  that  I  know;  leastways,  he  won't  walk  by  day,  and 
you  may  lay  to  that.  Care  killed  a  cat.  Fetch  ahead  for  the 
doubloons." 

We  started,  certainly;  but  in  spite  of  the  hot  sun  and  the  staring 
daylight,  tlie  pirates  no  longer  ran  separate  and  shouting  through 
the  wood,  but  kept  side  by  side  and  spoke  with  bated  breath.  Tiie 
terror  of  the  dead  buccaneer  had  fallen  on  their  spirits. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  TREASURE  HUNT:  THE  VOICE  AMONG  THE  TREES. 

Partly  from  the  damping  influence  of  this  alarm,  partly  to  rest 
Silver  and  the  sick  folk,  the  whole  party  sat  down  as  soon  as  they 
had  gained  the  brow  of  the  ascent. 

The  plateau  being  somewhat  tilted  toward  the  west,  this  spot  on 
which  we  had  paused  commanded  a  wide  prospect  on  either  hand. 
Before  us,  over  the  tree-tops,  we  belield  the  Cape  of  the  Woods 
fringed  with  surf;  behind,  we  not  only  looked  down  upon  the 
anchorage  and  Skeleton  Island,  but  saw — clear  across  the  spit  and 
the  eastern  lowlands— a  great  field  of  open  sea  upon  the  east.  Sheer 
above  us  rose  the  Spy-glass,  here  dotted  with  single  pines,  there 
black  with  precipices.  There  was  no  sound  but  that  of  the  distant 
breakers,  mounting  from  all  round,  and  the  chirp  of  countless  in- 
sects in  the  brush.  Not  a  man,  not  a  sail  upon  the  sea;  the  very 
largeness  of  the  view  increased  the  sense  of  solitude. 

Silver,  as  he  sat,  took  certain  bearings  witli  his  compass. 

"  There  are  three  '  tall  trees,'  "  said  he,  "  about  in  the  right  line 
from  Skeleton  Island.  '  Spy-glass  Shoulder,'  I  take  it,  means  that 
lower  p'int  tlicre.  It's  child's  play  to  find  the  stuff  now.  I've  half 
a  mind  to  dine  first.'' 

"  I  don't  feel  sharp,"  growled  Morgan.  "  Thinkin'  o'  Flint— 1 
think  it  were — as  done  me." 

"  All,  well,  my  son,  you  praise  your  stars  he's  dead,"  said  Silver. 

"  He  was  an  ugly  devil,"  cried  a  third  pirate,  with  a  shudder; 
"  that  blue  in  tlie  face,  too!" 

"  That  was  how  the  rum  took  him,"  added  Merry.  "  Bluel  well, 
I  reckon  he  was  blue.     That's  a  true  word. " 

Ever  since  they  had  found  the  skeleton  and  got  upon  this  train 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  145 

of  thougbt,  they  had  spoken  lower  and  lower,  and  they  had  almost 
got  to  whispering  by  now,  so  that  the  sound  of  their  talk  hardly 
interrupted  the  silence  of  the  wood.  All  of  a  sudden,  out  of  the 
middle  of  the  trees  in  front  of  us,  a  thin,  high,  trembling  voice 
struck  up  the  well-known  air  and  words: 

"  Fifteen  men  on  the  dead  man's  chest— 
Yo-ho-ho,  and  a  bottle  of  rum  1" 

I  never  have  seen  men  more  dreadfully  affected  than  the  pirates. 
The  color  went  from  their  six  faces  like  enchantment;  some  leaped 
to  their  feet,  some  clawed  hold  of  others;  Morgan  groveled  on  the 
ground. 

"  It's  Flint,  by !"  cried  Merry. 

The  song  had  stopped  as  suddenly  as  it  began — broken  off,  you 
would  have  said,  in  the  middle  of  a  note,  as  though  some  one  had 
laid  his  hand  upon  the  singer's  mouth.  Coming  so  far  through  the 
clear,  sunny  atmosphere  among  the  green  tree-tops,  I  thought  it 
had  sounded  airily  and  sweetly;  and  the  effect  on  my  companions 
was  the  stranger. 

"Come,"  said  Silver,  struggling  with  his  ashen  lips  to  get  1  ho 
word  out,  "  that  won't  do.  Stand  by  to  go  about.  This  is  a  rum 
start,  and  I  can't  name  the  voice,  but  it's  some  one  skylarking — 
some  one  that's  flesh  and  blood,  and  you  may  lay  to  that." 

His  courage  had  come  back  as  he  spoke,  and  some  of  the  color  to 
his  face  along  with  it.  Already  the  others  had  begun  to  lend  an 
ear  to  this  encouragement,  and  were  coming  a  little  to  themselves, 
when  the  same  voice  broke  out  again — not  this  time  singing,  but  in 
a  faint,  distant  hail,  that  echoed  yet  fainter  am.ong  the  clefts  of  the 
Spy-glass. 

"  Darby  M'Graw,"  it  wailed — for  that  is  the  word  that  best  de 
scribes  the  sound — "  Darby  M'Graw!  Darby  M'Graw!"  again  and 
again  and  again;  and  then  rising  a  little  higher,  and  with  an  oath 
that  I  leave  out:  "  Fetch  aft  the  rum,  Darby!" 

The  buccaneers  remained  rooted  to  the  ground,  their  eyes  start- 
ing from  their  heads.  Long  after  the  voice  had  died  away  they  slill 
stared  in  silence,  dreadfully,  before  them. 

"  That  fixes  it!"  gasped  one.     "  Let's  go." 

"They  was  his  last  words,"  moaned  Morgan,  "his  last  wordg 
above-board." 

Dick  had  his  Bible  out,  and  was  praying  volubly.  He  had  been 
well  brought  up,  had  Dick,  before  he  came  to  sea  and  fe?l  among 
oad  companions. 


146  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

Still,  Silver  was  unconquered.    I  could  hear  his  teeth  rattle  *n 

his  head;  but  he  had  not  yet  surrendered. 

"  Nobody  ia  this  here  island  ever  heard  of  Darby,"  he  muttered; 
"not  one  but  us  that's  here."  And  then,  making  a  great  effort. 
"  Shipmates,"  he  cried,  "  I'm  here  to  get  that  stuff,  and  I'll  not  be 
beat  by  man  nor  devil,  I  never  was  feared  of  Flint  in  his  life,  and, 
by  the  powers,  I'll  face  him  dead.  There's  seven  hundred  thousand 
pound  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  here.  When  did  ever  a  gentle- 
man o'  fortune  show  his  stern  to  that  much  dollars,  for  a  boosy  old 
seaman  with  a  blue  mug — and  him  dead,  too?" 

But  there  was  no  sign  (>f  reawakening  courage  in  his  followers; 
rather,  indeed,  of  growing  terror  at  the  irreverence  of  his  words. 

*'  Belay  there,  John!"  said  Merry.     "  Don't  you  cross  a  sperrit." 

And  the  rest  were  all  too  territied  to  reply.  They  would  have 
run  away  severally  had  they  dared,  but  fear  kept  them  together, 
and  kept  them  close  by  John,  as  if  his  daring  helped  them.  He, 
on  his  part,  had  pretty  well  fought  his  weakness  down. 

"  Sperrit?  Well,  may  be,"  he  said,  "  But  there's  one  thing  not 
clear  to  me.  There  was  an  echo.  Now,  no  man  ever  seen  a  sperrit 
with  a  shadow;  well,  then,  what's  he  doing  with  an  echo  to  him, 
I  should  like  to  know?    That  ain't  in  natur',  surely?" 

This  argument  seemed  weak  enough  to  me.  But  you  can  never 
tell  what  will  affect  the  superstitious,  and,  to  my  wonder,  George 
Merry  was  greatly  relieved. 

"  Well,  that's  so,"  he  said.  "  You've  a  head  upon  your  shoul- 
ders, John,  and  no  mistake.  'Bout  ship,  mates!  This  here  crew  is 
on  a  wrong  tack,  I  do  believe.  And  come  to  think  on  it,  it  was  like 
Flint's  voice,  I  grant  you,  but  not  just  so  clear  away  like  it,  after 
all.    It  was  liker  somebody  else's  voice  now — it  was  liker — " 

"  By  the  powers,  Ben  Gunnl"  roared  Silver. 

"Ay,  and  so  it  were,"  cried  Morgan,  springing  on  his  knees. 
"  Ben  Gunn  it  werel" 

"It  don't  make  much  odds,  do  it,  now?"  asked  Dick.  "Ben 
Gunn's  not  here  in  the  body,  any  more'n  Flint." 

But  the  older  hands  greeted  this  remark  with  scorn.  "  Why  no- 
body minds  Ben  Gunn."  cried  Merry;  "dead  or  alive,  nobody 
minds  him  " 

It  was  extraordinary  how  their  spirits  had  returned,  and  how  the 
natural  color  had  revived  in  their  faces.  Soon  they  were  chatting 
together,  with  intervals  of  listening;  and  not  long  after,  hearing  no 
further  sound,  they  shouldered  the  tools  and  set  forth  again,  Merr/ 
walking  first  with  Silver's  compass  to  keep  them  on  the  right  linfl 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  147 

with  Skeleton  Island.  He  liad  said  the  truth:  dead  or  alive,  no- 
body minded  Ben  Gunn. 

Dick  alone  still  held  his  Bible,  and  looked  around  him  as  he 
went,  with  fearful  glances;  but  he  found  no  sympathy,  and  Silver 
even  joked  him  on  his  precautions. 

"  I  told  you,"  said  he—"  I  told  you,  you  had  sp'iled  your  Bible. 
If  it  ain't  no  good  to  swear  by,  what  do  you  suppose  a  sperrit  would 
give  for  it?  Not  that!"  and  he  snapped  his  big  fingers,  halting  a 
moment  on  his  crutch. 

But  Dick  was  not  to  be  comforted;  indeed,  it  was  soon  plain  to 
me  that  the  lad  was  falling  sick;  hastened  by  heat,  exhaustion,  and 
the  shock  of  his  alarm,  the  fever,  predicted  by  Dr.  Livesey,  was 
evidently  growing  swiftly  higher. 

It  was  fine  open  walking  here,  upon  the  summit;  our  way  lay  a 
little  downhill,  for,  as  I  have  said,  the  plateau  tilted  toward  the 
west.  The  pines,  great  and  small,  grew  wide  apart;  and  even  be- 
tween the  clumps  of  nutmeg  and  azalea,  wide  open  spaces  baked  in 
the  hot  sunshine.  Striking,  as  we  did,  pretty  near  north-west  across 
the  island,  we  drew,  on  the  one  hand,  ever  nearer  under  the  shoul- 
ders of  the  Spy-glass,  and  on  the  other,  looked  ever  wider  over  that 
western  bay  where  I  had  once  tossed  and  trembled  in  the  coracle. 

The  first  of  the  tall  trees  was  reached,  and  by  the  bearing,  proved 
the  wrong  one.  So  with  the  second.  The  third  rose  nearly  two 
hundred  feet  into  the  air  above  a  clump  of  underwood;  a  giant  of 
a  vegetable,  with  a  red  column  as  big  as  a  cottage,  and  a  wide 
shadow  around  in  which  a  company  could  have  maneuvered.  It  was 
conspicuous  far  to  sea  both  on  the  east  and  west,  and  might  have 
been  entered  as  a  sailing  mark  upon  the  chart. 

But  it  was  not  its  size  that  now  impressed  my  companions;  it  was 
the  knowledge  that  seven  hundred  thousand  pounds  in  gold  lay 
somewhere  buried  below  its  spreading  shadow.  The  thought  of  the 
money,  as  they  drew  nearer,  swallowed  up  their  previous  terrors. 
Their  eyes  burned  in  their  heads;  their  feet  grew  speedier  and  light- 
er; their  whole  soul  was  bound  up  in  that  fortune,  that  whole  life- 
time of  extravagance  and  pleasure,  that  lay  waiting  there  for  each 
of  them. 

Silver  hobbled,  grunting,  on  his  crutch,  his  nostrils  stood  out  and 
quivered;  he  cursed  like  a  madman  when  the  flies  settled  on  his  hot 
and  shiny  countenance;  he  plucked  furiously  at  the  line  that  held 
me  to  him,  and,  from  time  to  time,  turned  his  eyes  upon  me  with  a 
deadly  look.  Certainly  he  took  no  pains  to  hide  his  thoughts;  and 
certainly  I  re-ad  them  like  print.    In  the  immediate  nearness  of  the 


148  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

gold,  all  else  had  been  forgotten;  his  promise  and  the  doctor's  warn- 
iog  were  both  things  of  the  past;  and  I  could  not  doubt  thai  he 
hoped  to  seize  upon  the  treasure;  find  and  board  the  "  Hispaniola  " 
under  cover  of  night,  cut  every  honest  throat  about  that  island,  and 
sail  away  as  he  had  at  first  intended,  laden  with  crimes  and  riches. 

Shaken  as  I  was  with  these  alarms,  it  was  hard  for  me  to  keep  up 
with  the  rapid  pace  of  the  treasure-hunters.  Now  and  again  T  tum- 
bled; and  it  was  then  that  Silver  plucked  so  roughly  at  the  rope  and 
launched  at  me  his  murderous  glances.  Dick,  who  had  dropjDed 
behind  us,  and  now  brought  up  the  rear,  was  babbling  to  himself 
both  prayers  and  curses,  as  his  fever  kept  rising.  This  also  added 
to  my  wretchedness,  and,  to  crown  all,  I  was  haunted  by  the 
thought  of  the  tragedy  that  had  once  been  acted  on  that  plateau, 
■when  that  ungodly  buccaneer  with  the  blue  face — he  who  had  died 
at  Savannah,  singing  and  shouting  for  drink — had  there,  with  his 
own  hand,  cut  down  his  six  accomplices.  This  grove,  that  was 
now  so  peaceful,  mu^t  then  have  rung  with  cries,  I  thought;  and 
even  with  the  thought  I  could  believe  I  heard  it  ringing  still. 

We  were  now  at  the  margin  of  the  thicket. 

"  Huzza,  mates,  altogether]"  shouted  Merry;  and  the  foremost 
broke  into  a  run. 

And  suddenl}^  not  ten  yards  further,  we  beheld  them  stop.  A 
low  cry  arose.  Silver  doubled  his  pace,  digging  away  with  the 
foot  of  his  crutch  like  one  possessed,  and  next  moment  he  and  I  had 
come  also  to  a  dead  halt. 

Before  us  was  a  great  excavation,  not  very  recent,  for  the  sides 
had  fallen  in  and  grass  had  sprouted  on  tiie  bottom.  In  this  were 
the  shaft  of  a  pick  broken  in  two  and  the  boards  of  several  packing- 
cases  strewn  around.  On  one  of  these  boards  I  saw,  branded  with 
a  hot  iron,  the  name  "  Walrus  "  — the  name  of  Flint's  ship. 

All  was  clear  to  probation.  The  cache  had  been  found  and  rifled 
—the  seven  hundred  thousand  pounds  were  gone  I 


CHAPTER  XXXin. 

THE  FALL  OP  A  CHIEFTAIN. 

There  never  was  such  an  overturn  in  this  world.  Each  of  these 
eix  men  was  as  though  he  had  been  struck.  But  with  Silver  the 
blow  passed  almost  instantly.  Every  thought  of  his  soul  had  been 
set  full-stretch,  like  a  racer,  on  that  money;  well,  he  was  brought 
up  in  a  single  second,  dead;  and  he  kept  his  he?d,  found  his  tern- 


TREASUKE    ISLAND.  149 

per,  and  changed  his  plan  before  the  others  had  had  time  to  realize 
the  disappointment. 

•'  Jim,"  he  whispered,  "  take  that,  and  stand  by  for  trouble." 

And  he  passed  me  a  double-barreled  pistol. 

At  the  same  time  he  began  quietly  moving  northward,  and  in  a 
few  steps  had  put  the  hollow  between  us  two  and  the  otlier  five. 
Then  he  looked  at  me  and  nodded,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Here  is  a 
narrow  corner,"  as,  indeed,  I  thought  it  was.  His  looks  were  now 
quite  friendly;  and  I  w'as  so  revolted  at  these  constant  changes,  that 
I  could  not  forbear  whispering,  "  So  you've  changed  sides  again." 

There  was  no  time  left  for  him  to  answer  in.  The  buccaneers, 
with  oaths  and  cries,  began  to  leap,  one  after  another,  into  the  pit, 
and  to  dig  with  then*  fingers,  throwing  the  boards  aside  as  they  did 
so.  Morgan  found  a  piece  of  gold.  He  held  it  up  with  a  perfect 
spout  of  oaths.  It  was  a  two-guinea  piece,  and  it  went  from  band 
to  hand  among  them  for  a  quarter  of  a  minute. 

"Two  guineas!"  roared  Merrj%  shaking  it  at  Silver.  "That's 
your  seven  hundred  thousand  pounds,  is  it?  You're  the  man  for 
bargains,  ain't  you?  You're  him  that  never  bungled  nothing,  you 
wooden-headed  lubberl" 

"  Dig  aw^ay,  boys,"  said  Silver,  with  the  coolest  insolence; 
"  you'll  find  some  pig-nuts,  and  I  shouldn't  wonder." 

"  Pig-nuts!"  repeated  Merry,  in  a  scream.  "  Mates,  do  you  hear 
\hat?  I  tell  you,  now,  that  man  there  knew  it  all  along.  Look  in 
the  face  of  him,  and  you'll  see  it  wrote  there." 

"Ah,  Merry,"  remarked  Silver,  "  standing  for  cap'n  again? 
You're  a  pushing  lad,  to  be  sure." 

But  this  time  every  one  was  entirely  in  Merry's  favor.  They  be- 
gan to  scramble  out  of  the  excavation,  darting  furious  glances  be- 
hind them.  One  thing  I  observed,  which  looked  well  for  us;  they 
all  got  out  upon  the  opposite  side  from  Silver. 

Well,  there  we  stood,  two  on  one  side,  five  on  the  other,  the  pit 
between  us,  and  nobody  screwed  up  high  enough  to  offer  the  first 
blow.  Silver  never  moved;  he  watched  them,  very  upright  on  his 
crutch,  and  looked  as  cool  as  ever  I  saw  him.  He  was  brave,  and 
no  mistake. 

At  last,  Merry  seemed  to  think  a  speech  might  help  matters. 

"  Mates,"  says  he,  "  there's  two  of  them  alone  there;  one's  the 
old  cripple  that  brought  us  all  here  and  blundered  us  down  to  this; 
the  other's  that  cub  that  I  mean  to  have  the  heart  of.  Now,  mates — " 

He  was  raising  his  ann  and  his  voice,  and  plainly  meant  to  lead  a 
charge     But  Just  then — crack!  crack!  crackl — three  musketshota 


150  TREASURE    ISLAKD. 

flashed  out  of  the  thicket.  Merry  tunibled  head- foremost  into  the 
excavation;  the  man  with  the  bandage  spun  round  like  a  teetotum, 
and  fell  all  his  length  upon  his  side,  where  he  lay  dead,  but  still 
twitching;  and  the  other  three  turned  and  ran  for  it  with  ali  their 
might. 

Before  you  could  wink  Long  John  had  fired  two  barrels  of  a  pis- 
tol into  the  siruggling  Merry;  and  as  the  man  rolled  up  his  eyes  at 
him  in  the  last  agony,  "  George,"  said  he,  "  I  reckon  I  settled  you." 

At  the  same  moment  the  doctor,  Graj^  and  Ben  Gunn  joined  us, 
■with  smoking  muskets,  from  among  the  nutmeg-trees. 

"Forward!"  cried  the  doctor.  "Double  quick,  my  lads.  We 
must  head  'em  oflE  the  boats. ' ' 

And  we  set  off  at  a  great  pace,  sometimes  plunging  through  the 
bushes  to  the  chest. 

I  tell  you,  but  Silver  was  anxious  to  keep  up  with  us.  The  work 
that  man^went  through,  leaping  on  his  crutch  till  the  muscles  of 
his  chest  were  fit  to  burst,  was  work  no  sound  man  ever  equaled; 
and  so  thinks  the  doctor.  As  it  was,  he  was  already  thirty  yards 
behind  us,  and  on  the  verge  of  strangling,  when  we  reached  the 
brow  of  the  slope. 

"  Doctor,"  he  hailed,  "  see  there  I  no  hurry  I" 

Sure  enough  there  was  no  hurry.  In  a  more  open  part  of  the 
plateau,  we  could  see  the  thi-ee  survivors  still  running  in  the  same 
direction  as  they  had  started,  right  for  Mizzeu-mast  Hill.  We  were 
already  between  them  and  the  boats;  and  so  we  four  sat  down  to 
breathe,  while  Long  John,  mopping  his  face,  came  slowly  up  with 
us. 

"  Thank  ye  kindly,  doctor,"  says  he.  "  You  came  in  in  about 
the  nick,  I  guess,  for  me  and  Hawkins.  And  so  it's  you,  Ben 
GunnI"  he  added.     "  Well,  you're  a  nice  one  to  be  sure." 

"  I'm  Ben  Gunn,  I  am,"  replied  the  maroon,  wriggling  like  an 
eel  in  his  embarrassment.  "  And,"  he  added,  after  a  long  pause, 
"  how  do,  Mr.  Silver!    Pretty  well,  I  thank  ye,  says  you." 

"  Ben,  Ben,"  murmured  Silver,  "  to  think  as  3'ou've  done  me." 

The  doctor  sent  back  Gray  for  one  of  the  pick-axes,  deserted,  in 
their  flight,  by  the  mutineers;  and  then  as  we  proceeded  leisurely 
downhill  to  where  the  boats  were  lying,  related  in  a  few  words, 
what  had  taken  place.  It  was  a  story  that  profoundly  interested 
Silver,  and  Ben  Gunn,  the  half -idiot  maroon,  was  the  hero  from  be 
ginning  to  end. 

Ben,  in  his  long,  lonely  wanderings  about  the  island,  had  found 
the  skeletoa— it  was  he  that  had  rifled  it;  he  had  found  the  treasure, 


TREASUEE    ISLAND.  15 1 

he  had  dug  it  up  (it  was  the  haft  of  his  pick-ax  that  lay  broken  in 
the  excavation);  he  had  carried  it  on  his  back,  in  many  weary 
journeys,  from  tlie  foot  of  the  tall  pine  to  a  cave  he  had  on  the  two- 
pointed  hill  at  the  north-east  angle  of  the  island,  and  there  it  had 
laid  stored  in  safety  since  two  months  before  the  arrival  of  the 
"  Hispaniola." 

When  the  doctor  had  wormed  this  secret  from  him,  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  attack,  and  when,  next  morning,  he  saw  the  anchorage 
deserted,  he  had  gone  to  Silver,  given  him  the  chart,  which  was 
now  useless — given  him  the  stores,  for  Ben  Gunn's  cave  was  well 
supplied  with  goats'  meat  salted  by  himself— given  anything  and 
everything  to  get  a  chance  of  moving  in  safety  from  the  stockade  to 
the  two-pointed  hill,  there  to  be  clear  of  malaria  and  keep  a  guard 
upon  the  money. 

"  As  for  you,  Jim,"  he  said,  "  it  went  against  my  heart,  but  I 
did  what  I  thought  b(?st  for  those  who  had  stood  by  their  duty;  and 
if  j'ou  were  not  one  of  these,  whose  fault  was  it?" 

That  morning,  finding  that  I  was  to  be  involved  in  the  horrid  dis- 
appointment he  had  prepared  for  the  mutineers,  he  had  run  all  the 
way  to  the  rave,  and,  leaving  squire  to  guard  the  captain,  had  taken 
Gray  and  the  maroon,  and  started,  making  the  diagonal  across  the 
island,  to  he  at  hand  beside  the  pine.  Soon,  however,  he  saw  that 
our  party  had  the  start  of  him;  and  Ben  Gunn,  being  fleet  of  foot, 
had  been  dispatched  in  front  to  do  his  best  alone.  Then  it  had  oc- 
curred to  him  to  work  upon  the  superstitions  of  his  former  ship- 
mates; and  he  was  so  far  successful  that  Gray  and  the  doctor  had 
come  up  and  were  already  ambushed  before  the  arrival  of  the  treas- 
ure hunters. 

"  Ah,"  said  Silver,  *'  it  was  fortunate  for  me  that  I  had  Hawkins 
here.  Yon  would  have  let  old  John  be  cut  to  bits,  and  never  given 
it  a  thought,  doctor." 
"  Not  a  thought,"  replied  Dr.  Livesey,  cheerily.' 
And  by  this  time  we  had  reached  the  gigs.  The  doctor,  with  the 
pick-ax,  demolished  one  of  them,  and  then  we  all  got  aboard  the 
other,  and  set  out  to  go  round  by  the  sea  for  North  Inlet 

This  was  a  run  of  eight  or  nine  miles.  Silver,  though  he  was  al- 
most killed  already  with  fatigue,  was  set  to  an  oar,  like  the  rest  o1 
us,  and  we  were  soon  skimming  swiftly  over  a  smooth  sea.  Soon 
we  passed  out  of  the  straits  and  doubled  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
island,  round  which,  four  days  ago,  we  had  towed  the  "  Hisf»aniola." 
As  we  passed  the  two-pointed  hill,  we  could  see  the  black  mouth 
of  Ben  Gunn's  cave,  and  a  figure  standing  by  it,  leaning  on  a  mus 


182  TEEASUKE    ISLAND. 

ket.  It  was  the  squire;  and  we  waved  a  handkerchief  and  gave 
him  three  cheers,  in  which  the  voice  of  Silver  joined  as  heartily  as 
any. 

Three  miles  further,  just  inside  the  mouth  of  North  Inlet,  what 
should  we  meet  but  the  "  Hispaniola,"  cruising  by  herself.  The 
last  flood  had  lifted  her;  and  had  there  been  much  wind,  or  a  strong 
tide  current,  as  in  the  southern  anchorage,  we  should  never  have 
found  her  more,  or  found  her  stranded  beyond  help.  As  it  was, 
there  was  little  amiss,  beyond  the  wreck  of  the  mainsail,  Another 
anchor  was  got  ready,  and  dropped  in  a  fathom  and  a  half  of  water. 
We  all  pulled  round  again  to  Rum  Cove,  the  nearest  point  for  Ben 
Gunn's  treasure-house;  and  then  Gray,  single-handed,  returned 
with  the  gig  to  the  "  Hispaniola,"  where  he  was  to  pass  the  night 
on  guard. 

A  gentle  slope  ran  up  from  the  beach  to  the  entrance  of  the  cave. 
At  the  top,  the  squire  met  us.  To  me  he  was  cordial  and  kind, 
saying  nothing  of  my  escapade,  either  in  the  way  of  blame  or  praise. 
At  Silver's  polite  salute  he  somewhat  flushed. 

*'  John  Silver,"  he  said,  "  you're  a  prodigious  villain  and  Impos- 
tor— a  monstrous  impostor,  sir.  I  am  told  I  am  not  to  prosecute  you. 
Well,  then,  I  will  not.  But  the  dead  men,  sir,  hang  about  your 
neck  like  millstones." 

*'  Thank  you  kindly,  sir,"  replied  Long  John,  again  saluting. 

"  How  dare  you  to  thank  mel"  cried  the  squire.  "  It  is  a  gross 
dereliction  of  my  duty.    Stand  backl" 

And  thereupon  we  all  entered  the  cave.  It  was  a  large,  airy 
place,  with  a  little  spring  and  a  pool  of  clear  water,  overhung  with 
ferns.  The  floor  was  sand.  Before  a  big  fire  lay  Captain  Smollett; 
and  in  a  far  corner,  only  duskily  flickered  over  by  the  blaze,  I  be- 
held great  heaps  of  coin  and  quadrilaterals  built  of  bars  of  gold. 
That  was  Flint's  treasure  that  we  had  come  so  far  to  seek,  and  that 
had  cost  already  the  lives  of  seventeen  men  from  the  "  Hispaniola." 
How  many  it  had  cost  in  the  amassing,  what  blood  and  sorrow, 
what  good  ships  scuttled  on  the  deep,  what  brave  men  walking  the 
plank  blindfold,  what  shot  of  cannon,  what  shame  and  lies  and 
cruelty,  perhaps  no  man  alive  could  tell.  Yet  there  w-ere  still  three 
upon  that  island — Silver,  and  old  Morgan,  and  Ben  Gunn — who  had 
each  taken  his  share  in  these  crimes,  as  each  had  hoped  in  vain  to 
share  in  ttie  reward. 

"  Come  in,  Jim,"  said  the  captain.  "  You're  a  good  boy  in  your 
iiae,  Jim;  but  I  don't  think  you  and  me'll  go  to  sea  again.   You're 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  153 

too  much  of  the  bom  favorite  for  me.  Is  that  you,  John  Silver? 
What  b-iugs  you  here,  man?" 

"  Ccme  back  to  do  my  dooty,  sir,"  returned  Silver. 

"  Ahl"  said  the  captain;  and  that  was  all  he  said. 

What  a  supper  I  had  of  it  that  night,  with  all  my  friends  around 
me;  and  what  a  meal  it  was,  with  Ben  Gunn's  salted  goat,  and 
some  delicacies  and  a  bottle  of  old  wine  from  the  "  Hispaniola." 
Never,  I  am  sure,  were  people  gayer  or  happier.  And  there  was 
Silver,  sitting  back  almost  out  of  the  fire-light,  but  eating  heartily, 
prompt  to  spring  forward  when  anything  was  wanted,  even  joining 
quietly  in  our  laughter— the  same  bland,  polite,  obsequious  seaman 
of  the  voyage  out. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

AND  LAST. 

The  next  morning  we  fell  early  to  work,  for  the  transportation 
of  this  great  mass  of  gold  near  a  mile  by  land  to  the  beach,  and 
thence  three  miles  by  boat  to  the  "  Hispaniola,"  was  a  considerable 
task  for  so  small  a  number  of  workmen.  The  three  fellows  still 
abroad  upon  the  island  did  not  greatly  trouble  us;  a  single  sentry 
on  the  shoulder  of  the  hill  was  sufficient  to  insure  us  against  any 
sudden  onslaught,  and  we  thought,  besides,  they  had  had  more 
than  enough  of  fighting. 

Therefore  the  work  was  pushed  on  briskly.  Gray  and  Bpn  Gunn 
came  and  went  with  the  boat,  while  the  rest  during  their  absence 
piled  treasure  on  the  beach.  Two  of  the  bars,  slung  in  a  rope's- 
end,  made  a  good  load  for  a  grown  man — one  that  he  was  glad  to 
w^alk  slowly  with.  For  my  part,  as  I  was  not  much  use  at  carrying, 
I  was  kept  busy  all  day  in  the  cave,  packing  the  minted  money  into 
bread-bags. 

It  was  a  strange  collection,  like  Billy  Bones's  hoard  for  the  diver- 
sity of  coinage,  but  so  much  larger  and  so  much  more  varied  that  I 
think  I  never  had  more  pleasure  than  in  sorting  them.  English, 
French,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  Georges,  and  Louises,  doubloons  and 
double  guineas  and  moidores  and  sequins,  the  pictures  of  all  the 
kings  of  Europe  for  the  last  hundred  years,  strange  Oriental  pieces 
stamped  with  what  looked  like  wisps  of  string  or  bits  of  spider's 
web,  round  pieces  and  square  pieces,  and  pieces  bored  through  the 
middle,  as  if  to  wear  them  round  yoar  neck — nearly  every  variety 
of  money  in  the  world  must   J  i kink,  have  found  a  place  in  that 


J.54  TREASURE    ISLAND. 

coUectioD.;  and  for  number,  I  am  sure  they  were  like  autumn  leaves, 
so  that  my  back  ached  with  stooping  and  my  fingers  with  sorting 
them  out. 

Day  after  day  this  work  went  on;  by  every  evening  a  fortune  had 
been  stowed  aboard,  but  there  was  another  fortune  waiting  for  the 
morrow;  and  all  this  time  we  heard  nothing  of  the  three  surviving 
mutineers. 

At  last — I  think  it  was  on  the  third  night — the  doctor  and  I  were 
strolling  on  the  shoulder  of  the  hill  where  it  overlooks  the  lowlands 
of  the  isle,  when,  from  out  the  thick  darkness  below,  the  wind 
brought  us  a  noise  between  shrieking  and  singing.  It  was  only  a 
snatch  that  reached  our  ears,  followed  by  the  former  silence. 

"  Heaven  forgive  them,"  said  the  doctor;  "  'tis  the  mutineersl" 

"  All  drunk,  sir,"  struck  in  the  voice  of  Silver  from  behind  us. 

Silver,  I  should  say,  was  allowed  his  entire  liberty,  and,  in  spite 
of  daily  rebuffs,  seemed  to  regard  himself  once  more  as  quite  a  priv- 
ileged and  friendly  dependent.  Indeed,  it  was  remarkable  how 
well  he  bore  these  slights,  and  with  what  unwearying  politeness  he 
kept  at  trying  to  ingratiate  himself  with  all.  Yet,  I  think,  none 
treated  him  better  than  a  dog;  unless  it  was  Ben  Gunn,  who  was 
still  terribly  afraid  of  his  old  quarter  master,  or  myself,  who  had 
really  something  to  thank  him  for;  although  for  that  matter,  I  sup- 
pose, I  had  reason  to  think  even  worse  of  him  than  anybody  else, 
for  I  had  seen  him  meditating  a  fresh  treachery  upon  the  plateau. 
Accordingly,  it  was  pretty  gruffly  that  the  doctor  answered  him. 

"  Drunk  or  raving  t"  said  he, 

"  Right  you  were,  sir,"  replied  Silver;  "  and  precious  little  odds 
which,  to  you  and  me." 

"  I  suppose  you  would  hardly  ask  me  to  call  you  a  humane  man, " 
returned  the  doctor,  with  a  sneer,  "  and  so  my  feelings  may  sur- 
prise you.  Master  Silver.  But  if  I  were  sure  they  were  raving — as 
I  am  morally  certain  one,  at  least,  of  them  is  down  with  fever — I 
should  leave  this  camp,  and,  at  whatever  risk  to -my  own  carcass^ 
take  Ihem  the  assistance  of  my  skill." 

"  Ask  your  pardon,  sir,  you  would  be  very  wrong,"  quoth  Silver. 
"  You  would  lose  your  precious  life,  and  you  may  lay  to  that.  I'm 
on  your  side  now,  hand  and  glove;  and  I  shouldn't  wish  for  to  see 
the  party  weakened,  let  alone  yourself,  seeing  as  I  know  what  I 
owes  you.  But  these  men  down  there,  they  couldn't  keep  their 
word— no,  not  supposing  they  wished  to;  and  what's  more,  tJiey 
couldn't  believe  as  you  could." 


TREASURE    ISLAND.  155 

•  No,"  said  the  doctor.     "You're  the  man  to  keep  your  word, 
we  know  that." 

Well,  that  was  about  the  last  news  we  had  of  the  three  pirates. 
Unly  ODce  we  heard  a  gunshot  a  great  way  off,  and  supposed  them 
to  be  hunting.  A  council  was  held,  and  it  was  decided  that  we 
must  desert  them  on  the  island— to  the  huge  glee,  I  must  say,  of 
Ben  Gunn,  and  with  the  strong  approval  of  Gray.  We  left  a  good 
stock  of  powder  and  shot,  the  bulk  of  the  salt  goat,  a  few  medicines, 
and  some  other  necessaries,  tools,  clothing,  a  spare  sail,  a  fathom  or 
two  of  rope,  and,  by  the  particular  desire  of  the  doctor,  a  handsome 
present  of  tobacco. 

That  was  about  our  last  doing  on  the  island.  Before  that  we  had 
got  the  treasure  stowed,  and  had  shipped  enough  water  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  goat  meat,  in  case  of  any  distress;  and  at  last,  one 
fine  morning,  we  weighed  anchor,  which  was  about  all  that  we 
could  manage,  and  stood  out  of  North  Inlet,  the  same  colors  flying 
that  the  captain  had  flown  and  fought  under  at  fhe  palisade. 

The  three  fellows  must  have  been  watching  us  closer  than  we 
thought  for,  as  we  soon  had  proved.  For,  coming  through  the  nar- 
rows, we  had  to  lie  very  near  the  southern  point,  and  there  we  saw 
all  three  of  them  kneeling  together  on  a  spit  of  sand,  with  their 
arms  raised  in  supplication.  It  went  to  all  our  hears,  I  think,  to 
leave  them  in  that  wretched  state;  but  we  could  not  risk  another 
mutiny;  and  to  take  them  home  for  the  gibbet  would  have  been  a 
cruel  sort  of  kindness.  The  doctor  hailed  them  and  told  them  of 
the  stores  we  had  left,  and  where  they  were  to  find  them,  but  they 
continued  to  call  us  by  name,  and  appeal  to  us,  for  God's  sake,  to 
be  merciful,  and  not  leave  them  to  die  in  such  a  place. 

At  last,  seeing  the  ship  still  bore  on  her  course,  and  was  now 
swiftly  drawing  out  of  ear-shot,  one  of  them — I  know  not  which  it 
was — leaped  to  his  feet  with  a  hoarse  cry,  whipped  his  musket  to  his 
shoulder,  and  sent  a  shot  whistling  over  Silver's  head  and  through 
the  mainsail. 

After  that,  we  kept  under  cover  of  the  bulwarks,  and  when  nexi 
I  looked  out  they  had  disappeared  from  the  spit,  and  the  spit  itself 
had  almost  melted  out  of  sight  in  the  growing  distance.  That  was, 
at  least,  the  end  of  that;  and  before  noon,  to  my  inexpressible  joy, 
the  highest  rock  of  Treasure  Isiaud  had  sunk  into  the  blue  round 
of  sea. 

We  were  so  short  of  men  that  every  one  on  board  had  to  bear  a 
hand — only  the  captain  lying  on  a  mattress  in  the  stern  and  giving 
Jtus  orders;  for,  though  greatly  recovered,  he  was  still  in  want  of 


156  TREASUEE    ISLAKD. 

quiet.  We  laid  her  head  for  the  nearest  port  in  Spanish  America, 
for  we  could  not  risk  the  voyage  home  without  fresh  hands;  and  as 
it  was,  what  with  baffling  winds  and  a  couple  of  fresh  gales,  we 
were  all  worn  out  before  we  reached  it. 

It  was  just  at  sundown  when  we  cast  anchor  in  a  most  beautiful 
land-locked  gulf,  and  were  immediately  surrounded  by  shore  boats 
full  of  negroes,  and  Mexican  Indians,  and  half-bloods,  selHug  fruits 
and  vegetables,  and  offering  to  dive  for  bits  of  money.  The  sight 
of  so  many  good-humored  faces  (especially  the  blacks),  the  taste  ot 
the  tropical  fruits,  and  above  all,  the  lights  that  began  to  shine  ia 
the  town,  made  a  most  charming  contrast  to  our  dark  and  bloody 
sojourn  on  the  island;  and  the  doctor  and  the  squire,  taking  me 
along  with  them,  went  ashore  to  pass  the  early  part  of  the  night. 
Here  thej'  met  the  captain  of  an  English  man-of-war,  fell  in  talk 
with  him,  went  on  board  his  ship,  and,  in  short,  had  so  agreeable  a 
time,  that  day  was  breaking  when  we  came  alongside  the  ' '  His- 
paniola." 

Ben  Gunn  was  on  deck  alone,  and,  as  soon  as  we  came  on  board, 
he  began,  with  wonderful  contortions,  to  make  us  a  confession. 
Siiver  was  gone.  The  maroon  had  connived  at  his  escape  in  a 
ehore-boat  some  hours  ago,  and  he  now  assured  us  he  had  only  done 
so  to  preserve  our  lives,  which  would  certainly  have  been  forfeited  if 
"  that  man  with  the  one  leg  had  stayed  aboard."  But  this  was  not 
all.  The  sea  cook  had  not  gone  emply-handed.  He  had  cut  through 
a  bulkhead  unobserved,  and  had  removed  one  of  the  sacks  of  coin, 
worth,  perhaps,  three  or  four  hundred  guineas,  to  help  him  on  his 
further  wanderings. 

I  think  we  were  all  pleased  to  be  so  cheaply  quit  of  him. 

Well,  to  mtike  a  long  story  short,  we  got  a  few  hands  on  board, 
made  a  good  cruise  home,  and  the  "  Hispaniola  "  reached  Bristol 
just  as  Mr.  Blandly  was  beginning  to  think  of  fitting  out  her  con- 
sort. Five  men  only  of  those  who  had  sailed  returned  with  her. 
"  Drink  and  the  devil  had  done  for  the  rest"  with  a  vengeance; 
although,  to  be  sure,  we  were  not  quite  in  so  bad  a  case  as  that 
other  ship  they  sung  aoout: 

**  With  one  man  of  the  .crew  alive, 
What  put  to  sea  with  seventy-flve." 

All  of  US  had  an  ample  share  of  the  treasure,  and  used  it  wisely 
or  foolishly,  according  to  our  natures.  Captain  Smollett  is  now  re- 
tired from  the  sea.  Gray  not  only  saved  his  money,  but,  being  sud- 
denly smit  with  the  desire  to  rise,  also  studied  his  profession;  and 


TREASUEE    ISLAND.  15? 

he  is  now  mate  and  part  owner  of  a  fine  full-rigged  ship;  married 
besides,  and  the  father  of  a  family.  As  for  Ben  Gunn,  he  got  a 
thousand  pounds,  which  he  spent  or  lost  in  three  weeks,  or,  to  be 
more  exact,  in  nineteen  days,  for  he  was  back  begging  on  the  twen- 
tieth. Then  he  was  given  a  lodge  to  keep,  exactly  as  he  had  feared 
upon  the  island;  and  he  still  lives,  a  great  favorite,  though  some- 
thing of  a  butt,  with  the  country  boys,  and  a  notable  singer  in 
church  on  Sundays  and  saints'  days. 

Of  Silver  we  have  heard  no  more.  That  formidable  seafaring 
man  with  one  leg  has  at  last  gone  clean  out  of  my  life;  but  I  dare 
say  he  met  his  old  negress,  and  perhaps  still  lives  in  comfort  with 
her  and  Captain  Flint.  It  is  to  be  hoped  so,  I  suppose,  for  his 
chances  of  comfort  in  another  world  are  very  small. 

The  bar  silver  and  the  arms  still  lie,  for  all  that  1  know,  where 
Flint  buried  them;  and  certainly  they  shall  lie  there  for  me.  Oxen 
and  wain-ropes  would  not  bring  me  back  again  to  that  accursed 
island;  and  the  worst  dreams  that  ever  1  have  are  when  I  hear  the 
surf  booming  about  its  coasts,  or  start  upright  in  bed,  with  th^ 
sharp  voice  of  Captain  Flint  still  ringing  in  my  ears:  "  Pieces  oT 
sight!  pieces  of  eightl" 


TE£  END. 


PRINCE    OTTO. 


BOOK  L 

PRINCE  EEBAIfT. 

CHAPTER  I. 

m  WHICH  THE  PKmCE  DEPAKTS  ON  AN  ADVENTURE. 

You  shall  seek  in  vain  upon  the  map  of  Europe  for  the  by- gone 
State  of  Grunewald.  An  independent  principality,  an  infiniteeimai 
member  of  the  German  Empire,  she  played,  for  several  centuries, 
her  part  in  the  discord  of  Enrcpe;  and,  at  last,  in  the  ripeness  of 
time  and  at  the  spii-iting  of  several  bald  diplomatists,  vanished  like 
a  morning  ghost.  Less  fortunate  than  Poland,  she  left  not  a  regret 
behind  her;  and  the  very  memory  of  her  boundaries  has  faded. 

It  was  a  patch  of  hilly  country  covered  with  thick  wood.  Many 
streams  took  their  beginning  in  the  glens  of  Grlinewald,  turning 
mills  for  the  inhabitants.  There  was  one  town,  Mittwalden,  and 
many  brown,  wooden  hamlets,  climbing  roof  above  roof,  along  the 
pteep  bottom  of  dells,  and  communicating  by  covered  bridges  over 
the  larger  of  the  torrents.  The  hum  of  water-mills,  the  splash  of 
rimning  water,  the  clean  odor  of  pine  sawdust,  the  sound  and  smell 
of  the  pleasant  wind  among  the  innumerable  army  of  the  mountain 
pines,  the  dropping  fire  of  huntsmen,  the  dull  stroke  of  the  wood- 
ax,  intolerable  roads,  fresh  trout  for  supper  in  the  clean  bare  cham- 
ber of  an  inn,  and  the  song  of  birds  and  the  music  of  the  village- 
bells — these  were  the  recollections  of  the  Grunewald  tourist. 

North  and  east  the  foothills  of  Grlinewald  sunk  with  varying  pro- 
file into  a  vast  plain.  On  these  sides  many  small  states  bordered  with 
the  principality,  Gerolstein,  an  extinct  grand  duchy,  among  the 
number.  On  the  south  it  marched  with  the  comparatively  powerful 
kingdom  of  Seaboard  Bohemia,  celebrated  for  its  flowers  and 
mountain  beais,  and  inhabited  by  a  people  of  singular  simplicity 


6  PRINCE    OTTO. 

and  tenderness  of  heart.  Several  intermarriages  had,  in  the  course 
of  centuries,  united  the  crowned  families  of  Grunewald  and  mari- 
time Bohemia;  and  the  last  Prince  of  Grunewald,  whose  history  I 
purpose  to  relate,  drew  his  descent  through  Perdita,  the  only 
daughter  of  King  Florizel  the  Fii-st  of  Bohemia.  That  these  inter- 
marriages had  in  some  degree  mitigated  the  rough,  manly  stock  of 
the  first  Griiuewalds,  was  an  opinion  widely  held  within  the  borders 
of  the  principality.  The  charcoal  burner,  the  mountain  sawyer, 
the  wielder  of  the  broad-ax  among  the  congregated  pines  of  Griine- 
wald,  proud  of  their  hard  hands,  proud  of  their  shrewd  ignorance 
and  almost  savage  lore,  looked  with  an  imfeigned  contempt  on  the 
soft  character  and  manners  of  the  sovereign  race. 

The  precise  year  of  grace  in  which  this  tale  begins  shall  be  left 
to  the  conjecture  of  the  reader  But  for  the  season  of  the  year 
(which,  in  such  a  story,  is  the  more  important  of  the  two)  it  was 
already  so  far  forward  in  the  spring,  that  when  mountain  people 
heard  horns  echoing  all  day  about  the  north-west  corner  of  the 
principality,  they  told  themselves  that  Prince  Otto  and  his  hunt 
were  up  and  out  for  the  last  time  till  the  return  of  autumn. 

At  this  point  the  borders  of  Grilnewald  descend  somewhat 
steeply,  here  and  there  breaking  into  crags;  and  this  shaggy  and 
trackless  country  stands  in  a  bold  contrast  to  the  cultivated  plain 
below.  It  was  traversed  at  that  period  by  two  roads  alone;  one, 
the  imperial  highway,  bound  to  Brandenau  in  Gerolstein,  descended 
the  slope  obliquely  and  by  the  easiest  gradients.  The  other  ran 
like  a  fillet  across  the  very  forehead  of  the  hills,  dipping  into  sav- 
age gorges,  and  wetted  by  the  spray  of  tiny  water-falls.  Once  it 
passed  beside  a  certain  tower  or  castle,  built  sheer  upon  the  margin 
of  a  formidable  cliff,  and  commanding  a  vast  prospect  of  the  skirts 
of  Grilnewald  and  the  busy  plains  of  Gerolstein.  The  Felsenburg 
(so  this  tower  was  called)  served  now  as  a  prison,  now  as  a  hunting- 
seat;  and  for  all  it  stood  so  lonesome  to  the  naked  eye,  with  the  aid 
of  a  good  glass  the  burghers  of  Brandenau  could  count  its  windows 
from  the  lime-tree  terrace  where  they  walked  at  night. 

In  the  wedge  of  forest  hill-side  inclosed  between  the  roads,  the 
horns  continued  all  day  long  to  scatter  tumult;  and  at  length,  as  the 
sun  began  to  draw  near  to  the  horizon  of  the  plain,  a  very  rpusing 
triumph  announced  the  slaughter  of  the  quarry.  The  first  and 
second  huntsman  had  drawn  somewhat  aside,  and  from  the  summit 
of  a  knoll  gazed  down  before  them  on  the  drooping  shoulders  of  the 
hill  and  across  the  expanse  of  plain.  They  covered  their  eyes,  foi 
the  sun  was  in  their  faces.     The  glory  of  its  going  down  was  some- 


PRINCE    OTTO.  7 

what  pale.  Through  the  confused  tracery  of  many  thousands  of 
naked  poplars,  the  smoke  of  so  many  houses  and  the  evening  steam 
ascending  from  the  fields,  the  sails  of  a  windmill  on  a  gentle  emi- 
nence moved  very  conspicuously,  like  a  donkey's  ears.  And  hard 
by,  like  an  open  gash,  the  imperial  high-road  ran  straight  sunward, 
an  artery  of  travel. 

There  is  one  of  nature's  spiritual  ditties,  that  has  not  yet  been  set 
to  words  or  human  music:  "  The  Invitation  to  the  Road;"  an  air 
continually  sounding  in  the  ears  of  gj-psies,  and  to  whose  inspira- 
tion our  nomadic  fathers  journeyed  all  their  days.  The  hour,  the 
season,  and  the  scene,  all  were  in  delicate  accordance.  The  air  was 
full  of  birds  of  passage,  steeling  westward  and  northward  over 
Griinewald,  an  army  of  specks  to  the  up-looking  eye.  And  below, 
the  great  practicable  road  was  bound  for  the  same  quarter. 

But  to  the  two  horsemen  on  the  laioll  this  spiritual  ditty  was 
unheard.  They  were,  indeed,  in  some  concern  of  mind,  scanning 
every  fold  of  the  subjacent  forest,  and  betraying  both  anger  and 
dismay  in  their  impatient  gestures. 

"  1  do  not  see  him,  Kuno,"  said  the  first  huntsman,  "  nowhere — 
not  a  trace,  not  a  hair  of  the  mare's  tail!  No,  sir,  he's  off;  broke 
cover  and  got  away.  Why,  for  twopence  I  would  hunt  him  with 
the  dogs!" 

"  Mayhap,  he's  gone  home,"  said  Kuno,  but  without  conviction. 

"  Home!"  sneered  the  other.  "I  give  him  twelve  days  to  get 
home.  No,  it's  begun  again;  it's  as  it  was  three  years  ago,  before 
he  married;  a  disgrace!  Hereditary  prince,  hereditary  fool!  There 
goes  the  government  over  the  borders  on  a  gray  mare.  What's  that? 
No,  nothing — no,  I  tell  you,  on  my  word,  I  set  more  store  by  a  good 
gelding  or  an  English  dog.     That  for  your  Otto!" 

"  He's  not  my  Otto,"  gi-owled  Kuno. 

"  Then  I  don't  linow  whose  he  is,''  was  the  retort. 

"  You  would  put  your  hand  in  tie  fire  for  him  to-morrow,"  caid 
Kuno,  facing  round. 

"  Me!"  cried  thehuntsman.  "  1  would  see  him  hanged!  I'm  a 
Grunewald  patriot  enrolled,  and  have  my  medal,  too;  and  I  would 
help  a  prince!    I'm  for  liberty  and  Gondremark." 

"Well,  it's  all  one,"  said  Kuno.  "If  anybody  said  what  you 
said,  you  would  have  his  blood,  and  you  know  it." 

"You  have  him  on  the  brain,"  retorted  his  companion.  "  There 
he  goes!"  he  cried,  the  next  moment. 

And  sure  enough,  about  a  mile  down  the  mountain,  a  rider  on  a 


8  PRINCE    OTTO. 

tphite  horse  was  seen  to  flit  rapidly  across  a  heathy  open  and  vanish 
among  the  trees  on  the  further  side. 

"  In  ten  minutes  he'll  be  over  the  border  into  Gerolstein,"  said 
Kimo.     "  It's  past  cure." 

"  Well,  if  he  founders  that  mare  I'll  never  forgive  him,"  added 
the  other,  gathering  his  reins. 

And  as  they  turned  down  from  the  knoll  to  rejoin  their  comrades, 
the  sun  dipped  and  disappeared,  and  the  woods  fell  instantly  into 
the  gravity  and  grayness  of  the  early  night. 


CHAPTER  n. 
ht  which  the  prince  plays  harotjn-al-raschid. 

The  night  fell  upon  the  prince  while  he  was  threading  green 
tracks  in  the  lower  valleys  of  the  wood;  and  though  the  stars  came 
out  overhead  and  displayed  the  interminable  order  of  the  pine-tree 
pyramids,  regular  and  dark  like  cj'presses,  their  light  was  of  small 
service  to  a  traveler  in  such  lonely  paths,  and  from  thenceforth  he 
rode  at  random.  The  austere  face  of  nature,  the  uncertain  issue  of 
his  course,  the  open  sky  and  the  free  air,  delighted  him  like  wine; 
and  the  hoarse  chafing  of  a  river  on  his  left  sounded  in  his  ears 
agreeably. 

It  was  past  eight  at  night  before  his  toil  was  rewarded  and  he 
issued  at  last  out  of  the  forest  on  the  firm  white  high-road.  It  lay 
downhill  before  him,  with  a  sweeping  eastward  trend,  faintly  bright 
between  the  thickets;  and  Otto  paused  and  gazed  upon  it.  So  it 
ran,  league  after  league,  still  joining  others,  to  the  furthest  ends  of 
Europe,  there  skirting  the  sea-surge,  here  gleaming  in  the  lights  of 
cities;  and  the  innumerable  army  of  tramps  and  travelers  moved 
upon  it  in  all  lands  as  by  a  common  impulse,  and  were  now  in  all 
places  drawing  near  to  the  inn  door  and  the  night's  rest.  The  pict- 
ures swarmed  and  vanished  in  his  brain;  a  surge  of  temptation,  a 
beat  of  all  his  blood,  went  over  him,  to  set  spur  to  the  mare  and  to 
go  on  into  the  unlaiown  forever.  And  then  it  passed  away;  hunger 
and  fatigue,  and  that  habit  of  middling  actions  which  we  call  com- 
mon sense,  resumed  their  empire;  and  in  that  changed  mood  his  eye 
lighted  upon  two  bright  windows  on  his  left  hand,  between  the  road 
and  river. 

He  turned  off  by  a  by-road,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  was  knock- 
ing with  his  whip  on  the  door  of  a  large  farm-house,  and  a  chorus 


PEINCE    OTTO.  9 

of  dogs  from  the  farm-yard  were  making  angry  answer.  A  very 
tall,  old,  white-headed  man  came,  shading  a  candle,  at  the  summons. 
He  had  been  of  great  strength  in  his  time,  and  of  a  handsome  coun- 
tenance; but  now  he  was  fallen  away,  his  teeth  were  quite  gone, 
and  his  voice  when  he  spoke  was  broken  and  falsetto. 

"  You  will  pardon  me,"  said  Otto.  "  I  am  a  traveler,  and  have 
entireljr  lost  my  way." 

"  Sir,"  said  the  old  man,  in  a  very  stately,  shaky  manner,  "  you 
are  at  the  River  Farm,  and  I  am  Killian  Gottesheim,  at  your  dis- 
posal. We  are  here,  sir,  at  about  an  equal  distance  from  Mittwal- 
den  in  Grilnewald  and  Brandenau  in  Gerolstein;  six  leagues  to 
either,  and  the  road  excellent;  but  there  is  not  a  wine-bush,  not  a 
carter's  ale-house,  anjTvhere  between.  You  will  have  to  accept  my 
hospitality  for  the  night;  rough  hospitality,  to  which  1  make  you 
freely  welcome;  for,  sir,"  he  added,  with  a  bow,  "  it  is  God  who 
sends  the  guest." 

"  Amen.  And  I  most  heartily  thank  you,"  replied  Otto,  bowing 
in  his  turn. 

"Fritz."  said  the  old  man,  turning  toward  the  interior,  "lead 
round  this  gentleman's  horse;  and  you,  sir,  condescend  to  enter." 

Otto  entered  a  chamber  occupying  the  greater  part  of  the  ground- 
floor  of  the  building.  It  had  probably  once  been  divided;  for  the 
further  end  was  raised  by  a  long  step  above  the  nearer,  and  the 
blazing  fire  and  the  white  supper-table  seemed  to  stand  upon  a  dais. 
All  round  were  dark,  brass-mounted  cabinets  and  cupboards;  dark 
shelves  carrying  ancient  country  crockery;  guns  and  antlers  and 
broadside  ballads  on  the  wall;  a  tall  old  clock  with  roses  on  the  dial: 
and  down  in  one  corner  the  comfortable  promise  of  a  wine  barrel.  It 
was  homely,  elegant,  and  quaint. 

A  powerful  youth  hurried  out  to  attend  on  the  gray  mare;  and 
when  Mr.  Killian  Gottesheim  had  presented  him  to  his  daughter 
Ottilia,  Otto  followed  to  the  stable  as  became,  not  perhaps  the 
prince,  but  the  good  horseman.  "When  he  returned,  a  smoking 
omelet  and  some  slices  of  home-cured  ham,  were  waiting  him;  these 
were  followed  by  a  ragout  and  a  cheese;  and  it  was  not  until  his 
guest  had  entirely  satisfied  his  hunger,  and  the  whole  party  drew 
about  the  fire  over  the  wine  jug,  that  Killian  Gottesheim 's  elaborate 
courtesy  permitted  him  to  address  a  question  to  the  prince. 

"  You  have  perhaps  ridden  far,  sir?"  he  inquired. 

"I  have,  as  you  say,  ridden  far,"  replied  Otto;  "and,  as  you 
have  seen,  I  was  prepared  to  do  justice  to  your  daughter's  cookery  " 


10  PEINCE    OTTO. 

"Possibly,  sir,  from  the  direction  of  Brandenau?*'  continuefl 
Killian. 

"  Precisely;  and  I  should  have  slept  to-night,  had  I  not  wandered, 
in  Mittwalden,"  answered  the  prince,  weaving  in  a  patch  of  truth, 
according  to  the  habit  of  all  liars. 

"  Business  leads  you  to  Mittwalden?"  was  the  next  question. 

"  Mere  curiosity,"  said  Otto.  "  I  have  never  yet  visited  the  prin 
cipality  of  Griinewald." 

"A  pleasant  state,  sir,"  piped  the  old  man,  nodding,  "  a  very 
pleasant  state,  and  a  fine  race,  both  pines  and  people.  We  reckon 
ourselves  part  Grlinewaldcrs  here,  lying  so  near  the  borders,  and  the 
river  there  is  all  good  Griinewald  water,  every  drop  of  it.  Yes,  sir, 
a  fine  state.  A  man  of  Griinewald  now  will  swing  me  an  ax  over 
his  head  that  many  a  man  of  Gerolstein  could  hardly  lift,  and  the 
pines,  why,  deary  me,  there  must  be  more  pines  in  that  little  state, 
sir,  than  people  in  this  whole  big  world.  'Tis  twenty  years  now 
since  I  crossed  the  marches,  for  we  grow  home-keepers  in  old  age; 
but  I  mind  it  as  if  it  was  j-esterday.  Up  and  down,  the  road  keeps 
right  on  from  here  to  Mittwalden;  and  nothing  all  the  way  but  the 
good  green  pine-trees,  big  and  little,  and  water  power!  water  power 
at  every  step,  sir.  We  once  sold  a  bit  of  forest,  up  there  beside 
the  high-road;  and  the  sight  of  minted  money  that  we  got  for  it 
has  set  me  ciphering  ever  since  what  all  the  pines  in  Griinewald 
would  amount  to." 

"  I  suppose  you  see  nothing  of  the  prince?"  inquired  Otto, 

*' No,"  said  the  young  man,  speaking  for  the  first  time,  "nor 
want  to." 

"  Why  so?  is  he  so  much  disliked?"  asked  Otto 

"  Not  what  you  might  call  disliked,"  replied  the  old  gentleman, 
"  but  despised,  sir." 

"  Indeed,"  said  the  prince,  somewhat  faintly. 

"  Yes,  sir,  despised,"  nodded  Killian,  filling  a  long  pipe,  "  and, 
to  my  way  of  thinking,  justly  despised.  Here  is  a  man  with  great 
opportunities,  and  what  does  he  do  with  them?  He  hunts  and  he 
dresses  very  jirettily,  which  is  a  thing  to  be  ashamed  of  in  a  man, 
and  he  acts  plays;  and  if  he  does  aught  else,  the  news  of  it  has  not 
come  here." 

"Yet  these  are  all  innocent,"  said  Otto,  "What  would  you 
have  him  do — make  war?" 

"No,  sir,"  replied  the  old  man.  "But  here  it  is;  I  have  been 
fifty  years  upon  this  River  Farm,  and  wrought  in  it,  day  in,  day 
out;  I  have  plowed  and  sowed  and  reaped,  and  risen  early,  and 


PRIXCE    OTTO.  11 

waked  late;  and  this  is  the  uj^shot:  that  all  these  years  it  has  sup 
ported  me  and  my  family;  and  been  the  best  friend  that  ever  I  had, 
set  aside  mj'  wife;  and  now,  when  my  time  comes,  I  leave  it  a  bet- 
ter farm  than  when  I  found  it.  So  it  is,  if  a  man  works  hearty  in 
the  order  of  nature;  he  gets  bread  and  he  receives  comfort,  and 
whatever  he  touches  breeds.  And  it  humbl}^  appears  to  me  if  that 
prince  was  to  labor  on  his  throne,  as  I  have  labored  and  wrought  in 
my  farm,  he  would  find  both  an  increase  and  a  blessing." 

"  I  believe  with  you,  sir,"  Otto  said;  "  and  j'et  the  parallel  is  in- 
exact. For  the  farmer's  life  is  natural  and  simple;  but  the  prince '.s 
is  both  artificial  and  complicated.  It  is  easy  to  do  right  in  the  one, 
and  exceedingly  diflicult  not  to  do  wrong  in  the  other.  If  your 
crop  is  blighted,  you  can  take  off  j'our  bonnet  and  say,  '  God's  will 
be  done;'  but  if  the  prince  meets  with  a  reverse,  he  may  have  to 
blame  himself  for  the  attempt.  And  perhaps,  if  all  the  kings  in 
Europe  were  to  confine  themselves  to  innocent  amusement,  the 
subjects  would  be  better  off." 

"Ay,"  said  the  young  man  Fritz,  "you  are  in  the  right  of  it 
there.  That  was  a  true  word  spoken.  And  I  see  you  are  like  me;, 
a  good  patriot  and  an  enemy  to  princes. ' ' 

Otto  was  somewhat  abashed  at  this  deduction,  and  he  made  haste 
lo  change  his  ground.  "  But,"  said  he,  "  you  surprise  me  by  what 
you  say  of  this  Prince  Otto.  I  have  heard  him,  I  must  own.  more 
favorably  painted.  I  was  told  he  was,  in  his  heart,  a  good  fellow, 
and  the  enemy  of  no  one  but  himself. ' ' 

"And  so  he  is,  sir,"  said  the  girl,  "  a  very  handsome,  pleasant 
prince;  and  we  Icnow  some  who  would  shed  their  blood  for  him.' 

"Oh!     Kuno!"  said  Fritz.     "  An  ignoramus!" 

"  Ay,  Kuno,  to  be  sure,"  quavered  the  old  farmer.  "  Well,  since 
this  gentleman  is  a  stranger  to  these  parts,  and  curious  about  tne 
prince,  I  do  believe  that  story  might  divert  him  This  Kuno,  you 
must  know,  sir,  is  one  of  the  hunt  servants,  and  a  most  ignorant, 
intemperate  man;  a  right  Griinewalder,  as  we  say  in  Gerolstein. 
We  know  him  well,  in  this  house;  for  he  has  come  as  far  as  here 
after  his  stray  dogs;  and  I  make  all  welcome,  sir,  without  account 
of  .state  or  nation.  And,  indeed,  between  Gerolstein  and  Grline 
wald  the  peace  has  held  so  long  that  the  roads  stand  open  like  my 
door,  and  a  man  will  make  no  more  of  the  frontier  than  the  very 
birds  themselves." 

"  Ay,"  said  Otto,  "  it  has  been  a  long  peace — a  peace  of  centu- 
ries," 

"  Centuries,  as  you  say,"  returned  Killian;    "  the  more  the  pity 


12  PRINCE    OTTO. 

that  it  should  not  be  forever.  "Well,  sir,  this  Kimo  was  one  day 
in  fault,  and  Otto,  who  has  a  quick  temper,  up  with  his  whip  and 
thrashed  him,  they  do  say,  soundly.  Kuno  took  it  as  best  he  could, 
but  at  last  he  broke  out,  and  dared  the  prince  to  throw  his  whip 
away  and  wrestle  like  a  man;  for  we  are  all  great  at  wrestling  in 
these  parts,  and  it's  so  that  we  generally  settle  our  disputes.  Well, 
sir,  the  prince  did  so;  and  being  a  weakly  creature,  fovmd  the  tables 
turned;  for  the  man  whom  he  had  just  been  thrashing  like  a  negro 
slave,  lifted  him  with  a  back  grip  and  threw  him  heels  overhead." 

"He  broke  his  bridle-arm,"  cried  Fritz — "and  some  say  his 
nose.  Serve  him  right,  say  II  Man  to  man,  which  is  the  better  at 
that?" 

"  And  then?"  asked  Otto. 

"Oh,  then  Kuno  carried  him  home;  and  they  were  the  best  of 
friends  from  that  day  forth.  I  don't  say  it's  a  discreditable  story, 
you  observe,"  continued  Mr.  Gottesheim;  "but  it's  droll,  and 
that's  the  fact.  A  man  should  think  before  he  strikes;  for,  as  my 
nephew  says,  man  to  man  Avas  the  old  valuation." 

"  Now,  if  you  were  to  ask  me."  said  Otto,  "  I  should  perhaps  sur- 
prise you.     I  think  it  was  the  prince  that  conquered. " 

"  And,  sir,  you  would  be  right,"  replied  Killian,  seriously.  "  In 
the  eyes  of  God,  I  do  not  question  but  you  would  be  right;  but 
men,  sir,  look  at  these  things  differently,  and  they  laugh." 

"  They  made  a  song  of  it,"  observed  Fritz,  "  How  does  it  go? 
Ta-tum-ta-ra — " 

"  Well,  "  interrupted  Otto,  who  had  no  great  anxiety  to  hear  the 
song,  "  the  prince  is  young;  he  may  yet  mend." 

"Not  so  young,  by  your  leave,"  cried  Fritz.  "A  man  of 
forty," 

"  Thirty-six,"  corrected  Mr.  Gottesheim. 

"  Oh, "  cried  Ottilia,  in  obvious  disillusion,  "  a  man  of  middle  age! 
And  they  said  he  was  so  handsome  when  he  was  youngi" 

"  And  bald,  too,"  added  Fritz. 

Otto  passed  his  hand  among  his  locks.  At  that  moment  he  was 
far  from  happy,  and  even  the  tedious  evenings  at  IVIittwalden  Pal- 
ace began  to  smile  upon  him  by  comparison. 

"Oh,  six-and-thirty!"  he  protested.  "  A  man  is  not  yet  old  at 
six-and-thirty.     I  am  that  age  myself." 

"  I  should  have  taken  you  for  more,  sir,"  piped  the  old  farmer. 
"  But  if  that  be  so,  you  are  of  an  age  with  Master  Ottekin,  as  peo- 
ple call  him;  antt,  1  would  wager  a  crown,  have  done  more  service 
in  your  time.     Though  it  seems  joung  by  comparison  with  men  of 


PRINCE    OTTO.  13 

a  great  age  like  me,  yet  it's  some  way  tlirough  life  for  all  that;  and 
the  mere  fools  and  fiddlers  are  beginning  to  grow  weary  and  to 
looli  old.  Yes,  sir,  by  six-and-thirty,  if  a  man  Wfe  a  follower  of 
God's  laws,  he  should  have  made  himself  a  home  and  a  good  name 
to  live  by;  he  should  have  got  a  wife  and  a  blessing  on  his  mar- 
riage; and  his  works,  as  the  Word  says,  should  begin  to  follow 
him." 

"  Ah,  well,  the  prince  is  married,"  cried  Fritz,  with  a  coarse 
burst  of  laughter. 

"  That  seems  to  entertain  you,  sir,"  said  Otto. 

"Ay,"  said  the  young  boor.  "Did  you  not  know  that?  I 
thought  all  Europe  knew  it!"  And  he  added  a  pantomime  of  a 
nature  to  explain  his  accusation  to  the  dullest. 

"  Ah,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Gottesheim,  "it  is  very  plain  that  you  are 
not  from  hereabouts!  But  the  truth  is,  that  the  whole  princely 
family  and  court  are  rips  and  rascals,  not  one  to  mend  another. 
They  live,  sir,  in  idleness  and — what  most  commonly  follows  it — 
corruption.  The  princess  has  a  lover;  a  baron,  as  he  calls  himself, 
from  East  Prussia.  Nor  is  that  the  worst  of  it,  for  this  foreigner 
and  his  paramour  are  suffered  to  transact  the  State  affairs,  while 
the  prince  takes  the  salary  and  leaves  all  things  to  go  to  wrack. 
There  will  follow  upon  this  some  manifest  judgment  which,  though 
I  am  old,  I  may  survive  to  see." 

"Good  man,  j-ou  are  in  the  wrong  about  Gfondiemark, "  said 
Fritz,  showing  a  greatly  increased  animation;  "but  for  all  the 
rest,  you  speak  the  God's  truth  like  a  good  patriot.  As  for  the 
prince,  if  he  would  take  and  strangle  his  wife,  I  would  forgive 
him  yet." 

"  Nay,  Fritz,"  said  the  old  man,  "  that  would  be  too  add  iniquity 
to  evil.  For  you  perceive,  sir,"  he  continued,  once  more  addressing 
himself  to  the  unfortunate  prince,  "  this  Otto  has  himself  to  thank 
for  these  disorders.  He  has  his  young  wife  and  his  principality, 
and  he  has  sworn  to  cherish  both." 

"Sworn  at  the  altar!"  echoed  Fritz.  "But  put  your  faith  in 
princes!" 

"  Well,  sir,  he  leaves  them  both  to  an  adventurer  from  East  Prus- 
sia," pursued  the  farmer;  "  leaves  the  girl  to  be  seduced  and  to  go 
on  from  bad  to  worse,  till  her  name's  become  a  tap-room  by -word, 
and  she  not  yet  twenty;  leaves  the  country  to  be  overtaxed,  and 
bullied  with  armaments,  and  jockeyed  into  war — " 

"  War.'"  cried  Otto. 

"  So  they  say,  sir;  those  that  watch  their  ongoings,  say  to  war," 


14  PRINCE    OTTO. 

asseverated  Killian.  "  Well,  sir,  that  is  very  sad;  it  is  a  sad  thing 
for  this  poor,  wicked  girl  to  go  down  to  hell  with  people's  curses; 
it's  a  sad  thing  for  a  tight  little  happy  country  to  be  misconducted; 
but  whoever  may  complain,  I  humbly  conceive,  sir,  that  this  Otto 
can  not.  What  he  has  worked  for,  that  he  has  got;  and  may  God 
have  pity  on  his  soul,  for  a  great  and  a  silly  sinner's!" 

'■  He  has  broke  his  oatii;  then  he  is  a  perjurer.  He  takes  the 
money  and  leaves  the  work;  why,  then  plainly  he's  a  thief.  A 
cuckold  he  was  before,  and  a  fool  by  birth.  Better  me  that!"  cried 
Fritz,  and  snapped  his  fingers. 

"And  now,  sir,  you  will  see  a  little,"  continued  the  farmer, 
"  why  we  think  so  poorly  of  this  Prince  Otto.  There's  such  a  thing 
as  a  man  being  pious  and  honest  in  the  private  way;  and  there  is 
such  a  thing,  sir,  as  a  public  virtue;  but  when  a  man  has  neither, 
the  Lord  lighten  him!  Even  this  Gondremark,  that  Fritz  here 
thinks  so  much  of — " 

"  Ay, "  interrupted  Fritz,  "  Gondremark 's  th3  man  for  me.  I 
would  we  had  his  like  in  Gerolstein. ' ' 

"  He  is  a  bad  man,"  said  the  old  farmer,  shaking  his  head;  "  and 
there  was  never  good  begun  by  the  breach  of  God's  command- 
ments. But  so  far  I  will  go  with  you:  he  is  a  man  that  works  for 
what  he  has." 

"I  tell  you  he's  the  hope  of  Grlinewald,"  cried  Fritz.  "He 
doesn't  suit  some  of  your  high-and-dry,  old,  ancient  ideas;  but 
he's  a  downright  modern  man — a  man  of  the  new  lights  and  tlie 
progress  of  the  age.  He  does  some  things  wrong;  so  they  all  do; 
but  he  has  the  people's  interests  next  his  heart;  and  you  mark  me — 
you,  sir,  who  are  a  Liberal,  and  the  enemy  of  all  their  governments, 
you  please  to  mark  my  words — the  day  will  come  in  Grilnewald, 
when  they  take  out  that  yellow-headed  skulk  of  a  prince  and  that 
dough-faced  Messalina  of  a  princess,  march  'em  back  foremost  over 
the  borders,  and  proclaim  the  Baron  Gondremark  first  President. 
I've  heard  them  say  it  in  a  speech.  I  was  at  a  meeting  once  at 
Brandenau,  and  the  Mittwalden  delegates  spoke  up  for  fifteen  thou- 
sand. Fifteen  thousand,  all  brigaded,  and  each  man  with  a  medal 
round  his  neck  to  rally  by.     That's  all  Gondremark." 

"  Ay,  sir,  you  see  what  it  leads  to:  wild  talk  to  day,  and  wilder 
doings  to-morrow,"  said  the  old  man.  "For  there  is  one  thing 
certain :  that  this  Gondremark  has  one  foot  in  the  court  backstairs, 
and  the  other  in  the  Masons'  lodges.  He  gives  himself  out,  sir,  for 
what  nowadays  they  call  a  patriot — a  man  from  East  Prussia!" 


PRIKCE    OTTO.  15 

"Give  himself  out!"  cried  Fritz.  "He  is!  He  is  to  lay  by  his 
title  as  soon  as  the  Republif  is  declared;  I  heard  it  in  a  speech." 

"  Lay  by  baron  to  take  up  president?"  returned  Killian.  "  King 
Log,  King  Stork.  But  you'll  live  longer  than  1,  and  you  will  sec 
the  fruits  of  it." 

"Father,"  whispered  Ottilia,  pulling  at  the  speaker's  coat, 
*'  surely  the  gentleman  is  ill." 

' '  I  beg  your  pardon, ' '  cried  the  farmer,  rewaking  to  hospitable 
thoughts;  "  can  1  offer  you  anything?" 

"  I  thank  you.  I  am  very  weary,"  answered  Otto.  "  I  have 
presumed  upon  my  strength.  If  you  would  show  me  to  a  bed,  I 
should  be  gi'ateful." 

"Ottilia,  a  candle!"  said  the  old  man.  "Indeed,  sir,  you  look 
pale.  A  little  cordial  water?  No?  Then  follow  me,  I  beseech 
you,  and  I  will  bring  you  to  the  stranger's  bed.  You  are  not  the 
first  by  many  who  has  slept  well  below  my  roof, ' '  continued  the 
old  gentleman,  mounting  the  stairs  before  his  guest;  "  for  good 
food,  honest  wine,  a  grateful  conscience,  and  a  little  pleasant  chat 
before  a  man  retires,  are  worth  all  the  possets  and  apothecary's 
drugs.  See,  sir,"  and  here  he  opened  a  door  and  ushered  Otto  into 
a  little  whitewashed  sleeping- room,  "  here  you  are  in  port.  It  is 
small,  but  it  is  airy,  and  the  sheets  are  clean  and  kept  in  lavender. 
The  window,  too,  looks  out  above  the  river,  and  there's  no  music 
like  a  little  river's.  It  plays  the  same  tune  (and  that's  the  favorite) 
over  and  over  again,  and  yet  does  not  weary  of  it  like  men  tiddlers. 
It  takes  the  mind  out-of-doors;  and  though  we  should  be  grateful 
for  good  houses,  there  is,  after  all,  no  house  like  God's  out-of- 
doors.  And  lastly,  sir,  it  quiets  a  man  down  like  saying  his  prayers. 
So  here,  sir,  I  take  my  kind  leave  of  you  until  to-morrow;  and  it  is 
my  prayerful  wish  that  you  may  slumber  like  a  prince. ' ' 

And  the  old  man,  with  the  twentieth  courteous  inclination,  left 
his  guest  alone. 


CHAPTER  III. 

IN    WHICH    THE     PRINCE    COMFORTS    AGE    AND    BEAUTY  AND  DE- 
LIVERS A  LECTURE   ON  DISCRETION  IN  LOVE. 

The  prince  was  early  abroad;  in  the  time  of  the  first  chorus  of 
birds,  of  the  pure  and  quiet  air,  of  the  slanting  sunlight  and  the 
mile-long  shadows.  To  one  Avho  had  passed  a  miserable  night,  the 
freshness  of  that  houi-  was  tonic  and  reviving;  to  steal  a  march 


16  PRIIfCE    OTTO. 

upon  his  slumbering  fellows,  to  be  the  Adam  of  the  coming  day, 
composed  and  fortified  his  spirits;  and  the  prince,  breathing  deep 
and  pausing  as  he  went,  wallced  in  the  wet  fields  beside  his  shadow, 
and  was  glad. 

A  trellised  path  led  down  into  the  valley  of  the  brook,  and  he 
turned  to  follow  it.  The  stream  was  a  break-neck,  boiling  high- 
land river.  Hard  by  the  farm,  it  leaped  a  little  precipice  in  a  thick 
gray  mare's  tail  of  twisted  filaments,  and  then  lay  and  worked  and 
bubbled  in  a  lin.  Into  the  middle  of  this  quaking  pool  a  rock 
protruded,  shelving  to  a  cape;  and  thither  Otto  scrambled  and  sat 
down  to  ponder. 

Soon  the  sun  struck  through  the  screen  of  branches  and  thin  early 
leaves  that  made  a  hanging  bower  above  the  fall;  and  the  golden 
lights  and  flitting  shadows  fell  upon  and  marbled  the  surface  of 
that  seething  pot;  and  rays  plunged  deep  among  the  turning  waters; 
and  a  spark,  as  bright  as  a  diamond,  lit  upon  the  swaying  eddy.  It 
began  to  grow  warm  where  Otto  lingered,  warm  and  heady;  the 
lights  swam,  weaving  their  maze  across  the  shaken  pool;  on  the 
impending  rock,  reflections  danced  like  butterflies;  and  the  air 
was  fanned  by  the  water-fall  as  by  a  swinging  curtain. 

Otto,  who  was  weary  with  tossing  and  beset  with  horrid  phan- 
toms of  remorse  and  jealousy,  instantly  fell  dead  in  love  with  that 
sun-checkered,  echoing  corner.  Holding  his  feet,  he  stared  out  of 
a  drowsy  trance,  wondering,  admiring,  musing,  losing  his  way 
among  uncertain  thoughts.  There  is  nothing  that  so  apes  the  ex- 
ternal bearing  of  free  will  as  that  unconscious  bustle,  obscurely 
following  liquid  laws,  with  which  a  river  contends  among  obstruc- 
tions. It  seems  the  very  play  of  man  and  destiny,  and  as  Otto  pored 
on  tliese  recurrent  changes,  he  grew,  by  equal  steps,  the  sleepier  and 
the  more  profound.  Eddy  and  prince  were  alike  jostled  in  their 
purpose,  alike  anchored  by  intangible  influences  in  one  corner  of 
the  world.  Eddy  and  prince  were  alike  useless,  starkly  useless,  in 
the  cosmology  of  men.     Eddy  and  prince — prince  and  eddy. 

It  is  probable  he  had  been  some  while  asleep  when  a  voice  re- 
called him  from  oblivion.  "  Sir,"  it  was  saying;  and  looking 
round,  he  saw  Mr.  Killian's  daughter,  terrified  by  her  boldness  and 
making  bashful  signals  from  the  shore.  She  was  a  plain,  honest 
lass,  healthy  and  happy  and  good,  and  with  that  sort  of  beauty 
that  comes  of  happiness  and  health.  But  her  confusion  lent  her  for 
the  moment  an  additional  charm. 

"  Good-morning,"  said  Otto,  rising  and  moving  toward  her.  "  I 
arose  early  and  was  in  a  dream. ' ' 


PRINCE    OTTO.  X* 

"  Oh,  sir!  '  she  cried,  "  I  wish  to  beg  of  you  lo  spare  my  father; 
for  1  assure  your  highness,  if  he  had  liuown  wlio  you  was,  he 
would  have  bitten  his  tongue  out  sooner.  And  Fritz,  too — how  he 
went  on!  But  I  had  a  notion;  and  this  morning  I  went  straight 
down  into  the  stable,  and  tliere  was  your  liighness's  crown  upon  the 
stirrup-irons!  But,  oh,  sir,  I  made  certain  you  would  spare  them; 
for  they  were  as  innocent  as  lambs." 

"  My  dear,"  said  Otto,  both  amused  and  gratiiied,  "  you  do  not 
understand.  It  is  I  who  am  in  the  wrong;  for  I  had  no  business  to 
conceal  my  name  and  lead  on  these  gentlemen  to  speak  of  me.  And 
it  is  I  who  have  to  beg  of  you  that  you  will  keep  my  secret  and 
not  betray  the  discourtesy  of  which  I  was  guilty.  As  for  any  fear 
of  me,  your  friends  are  safe  in  Gerolstein;  and  even  in  my  own 
territory,  you  must  be  well  aware  I  have  no  power," 

"  Oh,  sir,"  she  said,  courtesying,  "  I  would  not  say  that,  the  hunt- 
men  would  all  die  for  you." 

"  Happy  prince!"  said  Otto.  "  But  although  you  are  too  courte- 
ous to  avow  the  knowledge,  you  have  had  many  opportunities  of 
learning  that  1  am  a  vain  show.  Only  last  night  we  heard  it  very 
clearly  stated.  You  see  the  shadow  flitting  on  this  hard  rock. 
Pr-nce  Otto,  1  am  afraid,  is  but  the  moving  shadow,  and  the  name 
of  the  rock  is  Gondremark.  Ah!  if  your  friends  had  fallen  foul  of 
Gondremark!  But  happily  the  younger  of  the  two  admires  him. 
And  as  for  the  old  gentleman,  your  father,  he  is  a  wise  man  and  an 
excellent  talker,  and  I  would  take  a  long  wager  he  is  honest." 

"  Oh,  for  honest,  your  highness,  that  he  is!"  exclaimed  the  giri, 
"  And  Fritz  is  as  honest  as  he.  And  as  for  all  they  said,  it  was  just 
talk  and  nonsense.  When  country-folk  get  gossiping,  they  go  on,  i 
do  assure  you,  for  the  fun;  they  don't  as  much  as  think  of  what 
they  say.  If  j^ou  went  to  the  next  farm,  it's  my  belief  you  would 
hear  as  much  against  my  father. ' ' 

"Nay,  nay,"  said  Otto,  "  there  you  go  too  fast.  For  all  that 
was  said  against  Prince  Otto — " 

"  Oh,  it  was  shameful!"  cried  the  girl. 

"  Not  shameful — true,"  returned  Otto.  "  Oh,  yes — true.  I  am 
all  they  said  of  me — all  that  and  worse." 

"I  never!"  cried  Ottilia.  "Is  that  how  you  do?  Well,  you 
would  never  be  a  soldier.  Now  if  any  one  accuses  me,  I  get  up  and 
give  it  them.  Oh,  I  defend  myself.  I  wouldn't  take  a  fault  at 
another  person's  hands,  no,  not  if  I  had  it  on  my  forehead.  And 
that's  what  you  must  do,  if  you  mean  to  live  it  out.     But,  indeed, 


18  PKIXCE    OTTO. 

1  never  heard  such  nonsense.     I  should  think  you  was  ashamed  ol 
yourself!    You're  bald  then,  I  suppose?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Otto,  fairly  laughing.  "  There  I  acquit  myself: 
not  bald!" 

"  Well,  and  good?"  pursued  the  girl.  "  Come  now,  you  know 
you  are  good,  and  I'll  make  you  say  so —  Your  highness,  I  beg 
your  humble  pardon.  But  there's  no  disrespect  intended.  And 
anyhow,  you  know  you  are." 

"  Why,  now,  what  am  I  to  say?"  replied  Otto.  "  You  are  a 
cook,  and  excellently  well  you  do  it;  I  embrace  the  chance  of 
thanking  you  for  the  ragout.  Well  now,  have  you  not  seen  good 
food  so  bedeviled  by  unskillful  cookery,  that  no  one  could  be 
brought  to  eat  the  pudding?  That  is  me,  my  dear.  I  am  full  of 
good  ingredients,  but  the  dish  is  worthless.  I  am — I  give  it  you  in 
one  word — sugar  in  the  salad." 

"Well,  I  don't  care,  you're  good,"  reiterated  Ottilia,  a  little 
flushed  by  having  failed  to  understand. 

"  I  will  tell  j"Ou  one  thing,"  replied  Otto.     "  You  are!" 
"  Ah,  well,  that's  Avhat  they  all  said  of  you,"  moralized  the  girl; 
"  such  a  tongue  to  come  round — such  a  flattering  tongue!" 
"  Oh,  }-ou  forget,  I  am  a  man  of  middle  age,"  the  prince  chuckled. 
"  Well,  to  speak  to  you,  I  should  think  you  was  a  boy;  and 
prince  or  no  prince,  if  you  came  worrying  where  I  was  cooking,  I 
would  pin  a  napkin  to  your  tails —    And,  O  Lord,  I  declare  I 
hope  your  highness  will  forgive  me,"  the  girl  added.     "  I  can't 
keep  it  in  my  mind." 

"No  more  can  I,"  cried  Otto.  "  That  is  just  what  they  com- 
plain of!" 

They  made  a  loverly  looking  couple;  only  the  heavy  pouring  of 
that  horse  tail  of  water  made  them  raise  their  voices  above  lovers' 
pitch.  But  to  a  jealous  on-looker  from  above,  their  mirth  and  close 
pi'oximity  might  easily  give  umbrage;  and  a  rough  voice  out  of  a 
tuft  of  brambles  began  calling  on  Ottilia  by  name.  She  changed 
color  at  that.     "  It  is  Fritz,"  she  said.     "I  must  go." 

"Go,  my  dear,  and  I  need  not  bid  you  go  in  peace,  for  I  think 
you  have  discovered  that  I  am  not  formidable  at  close  quarters," 
said  the  prince,  and  made  her  a  fine  gesture  of  dismissal. 

So  Ottilia  skipjed  up  the  bank,  and  disappeared  into  the  thicket, 

stopping  once  for  a  single  blushing  bob  -blushing,  because  she  had 

'Ji  the  interval  once  more  forgotten  and  remembered  the  stranger's 

quality. 

Otto  returned  to  his  rock  promontory;  but  his  humor  had  in  the 


PRINCE    OTTO.  19 

meantime  changed.  The  sun  now  .shone  more  fairly  on  the  pool; 
and  over  its  brown,  welling  surface,  the  blue  of  heaven  and  the 
golden  green  of  the  spring  foliage  danced  in  fleeting  arabesque. 
The  eddies  laughed  and  brightened  with  essential  color.  And  the 
beauty  of  the  dell  began  to  rankle  in  the  prince's  mind:  it  was  so 
near  to  his  own  bordei-s,  yet  without.  He  had  never  had  much  of 
the  joy  of  possessorship  in  any  of  the  thousand  and  one  beautiful 
and  curious  things  that  were  his;  and  now  he  was  conscious  of 
envy  for  what  wa;  another's.  It  was,  indeed,  a  smiling,  dilettante 
sort  of  envy;  but  yet  there  it  was:  the  passion  of  Ahab  for  tlie 
vineyard,  done  in  little;  and  he  was  relieved  when  Mr.  Killian  ap- 
peared upon  the  scene. 

"  I  hope,  sir,  that  you  have  slept  well  under  my  plain  roof,"  said 
the  old  farmer. 

"  I  am  admiring  this  sweet  spot  that  you  are  privileged  to  dwell 
in,"  replied  Otto,  evading  the  inquiry. 

"It  is  rustic,"  returned  Mr.  Gottesheim,  looking  around  him 
with  complacency,  "  a  very  rustic  corner;  and  some  of  the  land  to 
the  west  is  most  excellent  fat  land,  excellent  deep  soil.  You  should 
see  my  wheat  in  the  ten-acre  field.  There  is  not  a  farm  in  Grune- 
wald,  no,  nor  many  in  Gerolstein,  to  match  the  River  Farm. 
Some  sixty — I  keep  thinking  when  I  sow — some  sixty,  and  some 
seventy,  and  some  an  hundred-fold;  and  my  own  place,  six  scorel 
But  that,  sir,  i   partly  the  farming." 

"  And  the  stream  has  fish?"  asked  Otto, 

"  A  fish-pond, "  said  the  farmer.  '"  Ay,  it  is  a  pleasant  bit.  It 
is  pleasant  eve»  here,  if  one  had  time,  with  the  brook  drumming  in 
that  black  pooi  md  the  green  things  hanging  all  about  the  rocks, 
and,  dear  heart  \o  see  the  very  pebbles!  all  turned  to  gold  and 
precious  stones!  But  you  have  come  to  that  time  of  life,  sir,  when, 
if  you  will  excuse  me,  you  must  look  to  have  the  rheumatism  set 
in.  Thirty  to  forty  is,  as  one  may  say,  their  seed-time.  And  this 
is  a  damp  cold  corner  for  the  early  morning  and  an  emptj'  stomach. 
If  I  might  humbly  advise  you,  sir,  I  would  be  xuoving. ' ' 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  said  Otto,  gravely.  "And  so  you  have 
lived  your  life  here?"  he  added,  as  they  turned  to  go. 

"  Here  I  was  born,"  replied  the  farmer,  "  and  here  I  wish  I 
could  say  I  was  to  die.  But  fortune,  sir,  fortune  turns  the  wheel. 
They  say  she  is  blind,  but  we  will  hope  she  only  sees  a  little  fur- 
ther on.  My  grandfather  and  my  father  and  I,  we  have  all  tilled 
these  acres,  my  furrow  following  theirs.  AU  the  iliree  names  are 
on  the  garden  bench,  two  Killians  and  one  Johann.     Yes,  sir,  good 


20  PKINCE    OTTO. 

men  have  prepared  lliemselves  for  the  great  change  in  my  old  gar- 
den. Well  do  I  mind  my  father,  in  a  woolen  night-cap,  the  good 
soul,  going  round  and  round  to  see  the  last  of  it.  "  Killian,"  said 
he,  "  do  j'ou  see  the  smoke  of  my  tobacco?  Why,"  said  he,  "  that 
is  man's  life."  It  was  his  last  pipe,  and  I  believe  he  knew  it;  and 
it  was  a  strange  thing,  without  doubt,  to  leave  the  trees  that  he  had 
planted,  and  the  son  that  he  had  begotten,  ay,  sir,  and  even  the  old 
pipe  with  the  Turk's  head  that  he  had  smoked  since  he  was  a  lad 
and  went  a-courting.  But  here  we  have  no  continuing  city;  and  as 
for  the  eternal,  it's  a  comfortable  thought  that  we  have  other  merits 
than  our  own.  And  yet  you  would  hardly  think  how  sore  it  goes 
against  the  grain  with  me,  to  die  in  a  strange  bed." 
"  And  must  you  do  so?  For  what  reason?"  Otto  asked. 
"  The  reason?  The  place  is  to  be  sold;  three  thousand  crowns," 
replied  Mr.  Gottesheim.  "  Had  it  been  a  third  of  that,  I  may  say 
without  boasting  that,  what  with  my  credit  and  my  savings,  1 
could  have  met  the  sum.  But  at  three  thousand,  unless  I  have 
singular  good  fortune  and  the  new  proprietor  continues  me  in 
office,  there  is  nothing  left  me  but  to  budge." 

Otto's  fancy  for  the  place  redoubled  at  the  news,  and  became 
joined  with  other  feelings.  If  all  he  heard  were  true,  Grliuewald 
was  growing  very  hot  for  a  sovereign  prince;  it  might  be  well  to 
have  a  refuge;  and  if  so,  what  more  delightful  hermitage  could 
man  imagine?  Mr.  Gottesheim,  besides,  had  touched  his  sympa- 
thies. Every  man  loves  in  his  soul  to  play  the  part  of  the  stage 
deity.  And  to  step  down  to  the  aid  of  the  old  farmer,  who  had  so 
roughly  handled  him  in  talk,  was  the  ideal  of  a  Fair  Revenge. 
Otto's  thoughts  brightened  at  the  prospect,  and  he  began  to  regard 
himself  with  a  renewed  respect. 

"  I  can  find  you,  I  believe,  a  purchaser,"  he  said,  "  and  one  who 
would  continue  to  avail  himelf  of  your  skill." 

"  Can  you,  sir,  indeed?"  said  the  old  man.  "  Well,  I  shall  be 
heartily  obliged;  for  I  begin  to  find  a  man  may  practise  resignation 
all  his  days,  as  he  takes  physic,  and  not  come  to  like  it  in  the  end, " 
"  If  you  will  have  the  papers  drawn,  you  may  even  burden  the 
purchase  Avith  your  interest,"  said  Otto.  "  Let  it  be  assured  to  you 
through  life. ' ' 

"Your  friend,  sir,'  insinuated  Killian,  "would  not,  perhaps, 
care  to  make  the  interest  revertible?    Fritz  is  a  good  lad," 

"Fritz  is  young,"  said  the  prince  dryly;  "he  must  earn  oon 
eideration,  not  inherit" 
"  He  has  long  worked  uison  the  place,  sir,"  insisted  IVlr.  Gotte- 


PRINCE    OTTO.  21 

sheim;  "  and  at  my  great  age,  for  I  am  seventy-eight  come  harvest, 
it  would  be  a  troublesome  thought  to  the  proprietor  how  to  fill  my 
shoes.  It  would  be  a  care  spared  to  assure  yourself  of  Fritz,  And 
I  believe  he  might  be  tempted  by  a  permanency." 

"  The  j'oung  man  has  unsettled  views,"  returned  Otto. 

*'  Possibly  the  purchaser — "  began  Killian. 

A  little  spot  of  anger  burned  in  Otto's  cheek.  "  I  am  the  pur- 
chaser," he  said. 

"  It  was  what  I  might  have  guessed,"  replied  the  farmer,  bowing 
with  an  aged,  obsequious  dignity.  "  You  have  made  an  old  man 
very  happy;  and  I  may  say,  indeed,  that  1  have  entertained  an  angel 
unawares.  Sir,  the  great  people  of  this  world — and  by  that  I  mean 
those  who  are  great  in  station — if  they  had  only  hearts  like  yours, 
hoAV  they  would  make  the  fires  burn  and  the  poor  sing!" 

"I  would  not  judge  them  hardly,  sir,"  said  Otto.  "We  all 
have  our  frailties." 

"Truly,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Gottesheim  with  unction.  ''And  by 
what  name,  sir,  am  I  to  address  my  generous  landlord?" 

The  double  recollection  of  an  English  traveler,  whom  he  had 
received  the  week  before,  at  court,  and  of  an  old  English  rogue 
called  Transome,  whom  he  had  known  in  youth,  came  pertinently 
to  the  prince's  help.  "  Transome,"  he  answered,  "  is  my  name.  I 
am  an  English  traveler.  It  is,  to-day,  Tuesday.  On  Thursday  be- 
fore noon,  the  money  shall  be  ready.  Let  us  meet,  if  you  please, 
in  !Mittwalden,  at  the  '  Morning  Star. '  ' ' 

"  I  am,  in  all  things  lawful,  your  servant  to  command,"  replied 
the  farmer.  "  An  Englishman!  You  are  a  great  race  of  travelers. 
And  has  your  lordship  some  experience  of  land?" 

"I  have  had  some  interest  of  the  kind  before,"  returned  the 
prince;  "  not  in  Gerolstein,  indeed.  But  fortune,  as  j^ou  say,  turns 
the  wheel,  and  I  desire  to  be  beforehand  with  her  revolutions." 

"  Very  right,  sir,  I  am  sure,"  said  Mr.  Killian. 

They  had  been  strolling  with  deliberation;  but  they  were  now 
drawing  near  to  the  farm-house,  mounting  by  the  trellised  pathway 
to  the  level  of  the  meadow.  A  little  before  them,  the  sound  of 
voices  had  been  some  while  audible,  and  now  grew  louder  and 
more  distinct  with  every  step  of  their  advance.  Presently,  when 
they  emerged  upou  the  top  of  the  bank,  they  beheld  Fritz  and  Ot- 
tilia some  way  off;  he,  very  black  and  bloodshot,  emphasizing  his 
hoarse  speech  with  the  smacking  of  his  fist  against  his  palm;  she, 
standing  a  Uttle  way  off  in  blowsy,  voluble  distress. 


22  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  Dear  me!"  said  Mr.  Gottesheim,  and  made  as  if  he  would  turn 
aijide. 

But  Otto  went  straight  toward  the  lovers,  in  whose  dissension  he 
believed  liimself  to  have  a  share.  And,  indeed,  as  soon  as  he  had 
seen  the  prince,  Fritz  had  stood  tragic,  as  if  awaiting  and  defying 
his  approach. 

'  Oh,  here  j'ou  are!"  he  cried,  as  soon  as  they  were  near  enough 
for  easy  speech.  "  You  are  a  man  at  least,  and  must  reply.  What 
were  you  after?  Why  were  you  two  skulking  in  the  bush?  God!" 
he  broke  out,  turning  again  upon  Ottilia,  ''  to  think  that  I  should 
waste  my  heart  on  you'" 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  Otto  cut  in.  "  You  were  addressing 
me.  In  virtue  Df  what  circumstance  am  I  to  render  you  an  account 
of  this  lady's  conduct?  Are  you  her  father?  her  brotlier?  her  hus- 
bmd?" 

"  Oh,  sir,  you  know  as  well  as  I,"  returned  the  peasant.  "  We 
keep  company,  she  and  I.  I  love  her,  and  she  is  by  way  of  loving 
me;  but  all  shall  bfe  above-board,  I  would  have  her  to  know,  I 
have  a  good  pride  of  my  own." 

"  Why,  sir,  I  perceive  I  must  explain  to  j^ou  what  love  is,"  said 
Otto.  "  It's  measure  is  kindness.  It  is  very  possible  that  you  are 
proud;  but  this  lady,  too,  may  have  some  self-esteem;  I  do  not 
speak  for  myself.  And  perhaps,  if  your  own  doings  were  so  curi- 
ously examined,  j'Ou  might  find  it  inconvenient  to  reply." 

"  These  are  all  set-offs,"  said  the  young  man.  "  You  know  very 
well  that  a  man  is  a  man,  and  a  woman  only  a  woman.  That  holds 
good  all  over,  up  and  down.  I  ask  you  a  question,  I  ask  it  again, 
and  here  I  stand."    He  drew  a  mark  and  toed  it. 

"  When  you  have  studied  liberal  doctrines  somewhat  deeper,"  said 
the  prince,  "you  will  perhaps  change  your  note.  You  are  a  man 
of  false  weights  and  measures,  mj''  j'ouug  friend.  Y^ou  have  one 
scale  for  women,  another  for  men;  one  for  princes  and  one  for  farm- 
er-folk. On  the  prince  who  neglects  his  wife  j^ou  can  be  most 
severe.  But  what  of  the  lover  who  insults  his  mistress?  You  use 
the  name  of  love.  I  should  think  this  lady  might  very  fairly  ask 
to  be  delivered  from  love  of  such  a  nature.  For  if  I,  a  stranger, 
had  been  one-tenth  part  so  gross  and  so  discourteous,  you  would 
most  righteously  have  broken  my  head.  It  would  have  been  in 
your  part,  as  lover,  to  protect  her  from  such  insolence.  Protect  her 
first,  then,  from  yourself . " 

"  Ay,"  quoth  Mr.  Gottesheim,  who  had  been  looking  on  with  his 
hands  behind  his  taU  old  back,  "  ay,  that's  Scripture  truth." 


PRINCE    OTTO.  23 

Fritz  was  staggered,  not  only  bj'  the  prince's  imperturbable  su- 
periority of  manner,  but  by  a  glimmering  consciousness  that  he  him- 
self "Was  in  the  Avrong.  The  appeal  to  liberal  doctrines  had,  besides, 
unmanned  him. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  if  I  was  iiide,  I'll  own  to  it.  I  meant  no  ill, 
and  did  nothing  out  of  my  just  rights;  but  I  am  above  all  these  old 
vulgar  notions,  too;  and  if  1  spoke  sharp  I'll  ask  her  pardon. '■ 

"  Freely  granted,  Fritz,"  said  Ottilia. 

"  But  all  this  doesn't  answer  me,"  cried  Fritz.  "  I  ask  what  you 
two  spoke  about.  She  says  she  promised  not  to  tell;  well,  then,  I 
mean  to  know.  Civility  is  civility;  but  I'll  be  no  man's  gull.  I 
have  a  right  to  common  justice,  if  I  do  keep  company!" 

"  If  you  will  ask  Mr.  Gottesheim,"  replied  Otto,  "  you  will  find 
I  have  not  spent  my  hours  in  idleness.  I  have,  since  I  arose  this 
morning,  agreed  to  buy  the  farm.  So  far  I  will  go  to  satisfy  a 
curiosity  which  I  condemn." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  there  was  business,  that's  another  matter,"  returned 
Fritz.  "  Though  it  beats  me  why  you  could  not  tell.  But,  of 
course,  if  the  gentleman  is  to  buy  the  farm,  I  suppose  there  would 
naturallj^  be  an  end." 

"To  be  sure,"  said  Mr.  Gottesheim,  with  a  strong  accent  of 
conviction. 

But  Ottilia  was  much  braver.  "There  now!"  she  cried  in 
triumph.  "  What  did  I  tell  you?  I  told  you  I  was  lighting  your 
battles.  Kow  you  see!  Think  shame  of  your  suspicious  temper! 
You  should  go  down  upon  your  bended  knees  both  to  that  gentle- 
man and  me." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

IN  WHICH  THE  PRINCE   COLLECTS  OPINIONS  BY  THE   WAT. 

A  LITTLE  before  noon  Otto,  by  a  triumph  of  maneuvering, 
effected  his  escape.  He  was  quit  in  this  way  of  the  ponderous  grat- 
itude of  Mr.  Killian,  and  of  the  confidential  gratitude  of  poor  Ot- 
tilia; but  of  Fritz  he  was  not  quit  so  readily.  That  joung  politi- 
cian, brimming  with  mysterious  glances,  offered  to  lend  his  convoy 
as  far  as  to  the  high-road;  and  Otto,  in  fear  of  some  residuary  jeal- 
ousy and  for  the  girl's  sake,  had  not  the  courage  to  gainsay  him; 
but  he  regarded  his  companion  with  uueasj^  glances,  and  devoutly 
wished  the  business  at  an  end.  For  some  time  Fritz  walked  by  the 
mare  in  silence;  and  they  had  already  traversed  more  than  half  the 


24  PRINCE    OTTO. 

proposed  distance  when,  "witli  something  of  a  bhish,  he  looked  up 
and  opened  fire. 

"  Are  you  not,"  he  asked,  "  what  they  call  a  socialist?" 
"Why,  no,"  returned  Otto,   "not  precisely  what  they  call  so. 
Why  do  you  ask?" 

"  I  will  tell  you  why,"  said  tha  young  man.  "  I  saw  from  the 
first  that  you  were  a  red  progressional,  and  nothing  but  the  fear  of 
old  Killian  kept  you  back.  And  there,  sir,  you  were  right;  old 
men  are  always  cowards.  But  noAvadays,  you  see,  there  are  so 
many  groups;  you  can  never  tell  how  far  the  likeliest  kind  of  man 
may  be  prepared  to  go;  and  I  was  never  sure  you  were  one  of  the 
strong  thinkers,  till  you  hinted  about  women  and  free  love." 
"  Indeed,"  cried  Otto,  "  I  never  said  a  word  of  such  a  thing." 
"  Not  you!"  cried  Fritz.  "  Never  a  word  to  compromise!  You 
was  sowing  S'^ed-  a  ground-bait,  our  president  calls  it.  But  it's 
hard  to  deceive  me,  for  I  know  all  the  agitators  and  their  ways,  and 
all  the  doctrines;  and  between  you  and  me,"  lowering  his  voice, 
"  I  am  myself  affiliated.  Oh,  y^s,  I  am  a  secret-society  man,  and 
here  is  my  medal."  And  drawing  out  a  green  ribbon  that  he  wore 
about  his  neck,  he  held  up,  for  Otto's  inspection,  a  pewter  medal 
bearing  the  imprint  of  a  Phoenix  and  the  legend,  Liberia^.  "  And 
so  now  j'ou  see  you  may  trust  me,"  added  Fritz.  "  I  am  none  cf 
your  ale-house  talkers;  I  am  a  convinced  revolutionary, "  And  he 
looked  meltingly  upon  Otto. 

"  I  see,"  replied  the  prince;  "  that  is  very  gratifying.  Well,  sir, 
the  great  thing  for  the  good  of  one's  country  is,  first  of  all,  to  be  a 
good  man.  All  springs  from  there.  For  my  part,  although  you 
are  right  in  thinking  that  T  have  to  do  with  politics,  I  am  unfit  by 
intellect  and.  temper  for  a  leading  role.  I  "was  intended,  I  fear,  for 
a  subaltern.  Yet  we  have  all  something  to  command,  Mr.  Fritz,  if 
it  be  only  our  own  temper;  and  a  man  about  to  marry  must  look 
closely  to  himself.  The  husband's,  like  the  prince's,  is  a  very  arti- 
ficial standing;  and  it  is  hard  to  be  kind  in  either.  Do  you  follow 
that?" 

"Oh,  yes,  I  follow  that,"  replied  the  young  man,  sadly  chop- 
fallen  over  the  nature  of  the  information  he  had  elicited;  and  then 
brightening  up:  "Is  it,"  he  ventured,  "is  it  for  an  arsenal  that 
you  have  bought  the  farm?" 

'  We'll  see  about  that,"  the  prince  answered,  laughing.  "  You 
must  not  be  too  zealous.  And  in  the  meantime,  if  I  were  you,  I 
world  say  nothing  on  the  subject." 

"  Oh,  trust  me,  sir,  for  that,"  cried  Fritz,  as  he  pocketed  a  crowa 


PRINCE    OTTO.  25 

"  And  you've  let  nothing  out;  for  I  suspected — I  might  say  I  knew 
it — from  the  nrst.  And  mind  you,  when  a  guide  is  required,"  he 
added,  "  I  know  all  the  forest  paths." 

Otto  rode  away,  chuckling.  This  talk  with  Fritz  had  vastly  en- 
tertained him;  nor  was  he  altogether  discontented  with  his  bearing 
at  the  farm;  men,  he  was  able  to  tell  himself,  had  behaved  worse 
under  smaller  provocation.  And,  to  harmonize  all,  the  road  and 
the  April  air  were  both  delightful  to  his  soul. 

Up  and  down,  and  to  and  fro,  ever  mounting  through  the  wooded 
foot-hills,  the  broad,  white  high-road  wound  onward  into  Grlinewald 
On  either  hand  the  pines  stood  coolly  rooted — green  moss  prosper! 
ing,  springs  welling  forth  between  their  knuclded  spurs;  and  though 
some  were  broad  and  stalwart,  and  others  spiry  and  slender,  yet  all 
stood  firm  in  the  same  attitude  and  with  the  same  expression,  like 
a  silent  army  presenting  arms. 

The  road  lay  all  the  way  apart  from  towns  and  villages,  which  it 
left  on  either  hand.  Here  and  there,  indeed,  in  the  bottom  of  green 
glens,  the  prince  could  s^^y  a  few  congregated  roofs,  or  perhaps 
above  him,  on  a  shoulder,  the  solitary  cabin  of  a  woodman.  But  the 
highway  was  an  international  undertaking,  and  with  its  face  set  for 
distant  cities,  scorned  the  little  life  of  Grlinewald.  Hence  it  was 
exceeding  solitary.  Near  the  frontier  Otto  met  a  detachment  of  his 
own  troops  marching  in  the  hot  dust;  and  he  was  recognized  and 
somewhat  feebly  cheered  as  he  rode  by.  But  from  that  time  forth 
and  for  a  long  vv^hile  he  was  alone  with  the  great  woods. 

Gradually  the  spell  of  pleasure  relaxed;  his  own  thoughts  re- 
turned, like  stinging  insects,  in  a  cloud;  and  the  talk  of  the  night 
before,  like  a  shower  of  buffets,  fell  upon  his  memory.  He  looked 
east  and  west  for  any  comforter;  and  presently  he  was  aware  of  a 
cross-road  coming  steeply  down  the  hill,  and  a  horseman  cautiously 
descending,  A  human  voice  or  presence,  like  a  spring  in  the  desert, 
was  now  welcome  in  itself,  and  Otto  drew  bridle  to  await  the  com 
ing  of  this  stranger.  He  proved  to  be  a  very  red-faced,  thick-lipped 
countryman,  with  a  pair  of  fat  saddle-bags  and  a  stone  bottle  at  his 
waist;  who,  as  soon  as  the  prince  hailed  him,  jovially,  if  somewhat 
ihickly,  answered.  At  the  same  time  he  gave  a  beery  yaw  in  the 
saddle.     It  was  clear  his  bottle  Avas  no  longer  full. 

"  Do  you  ride  toward  i\littwaldcu?"  asked  the  prince. 

"  As  far  as  the  cross-road  to  Tanneubrunn,"  the  man  replied 
"  Will  you  bear  company?" 

*'  With  pleasure  I  have  even  waited  for  you  on  the  chance;" 
answered  Otto, 


36  PRINCE    OTTO. 

By  this  time  they  were  close  alongside;  and  the  man,  with  the 
conntry-folk  instinct,  turned  this  cloudy  vision  first  of  all  on  his 
companion's  mount.  "  The  devil!"  he  cried.  "  You  ride  a  bonny 
mare,  friend!"  And  then,  his  curiosity  being  satisfied  about  the 
essential,  he  turned  his  attention  to  that  merely  secondary  matter, 
his  companion's  face.  He  started.  '*  The  prince!"  he  cried,  salut- 
ing, with  another  yaw  that  came  near  dismount  mg  him.  "  I  beg 
your  pardon,  your  highness,  not  to  have  reco'nized  you  at  once." 

The  prince  was  vexed  out  of  his  self-possession.  "  Since  you 
know  me,"  he  said,  "  it  is  unnecessary  we  should  ride  together.  I 
will  precede  you,  if  you  please."  And  he  was  about  to  set  spur  to 
the  gray  mare,  when  the  half-drunken  fellow,  reaching  over,  laid 
his  hand  upon  the  rein. 

"  Hark  you,"  he  said,  *'  prince  or  no  prince,  that  is  not  how  one 
man  should  conduct  himself  with  another.  What!  You'll  ride 
with  me  incog,  and  set  me  talking!  But  if  I  know  you,  you'll  pre- 
shede  me,  if  you  please!  Spy!"  And  the  fellow,  crimson  with 
drink  and  injured  vanity,  almost  spat  the  word  into  the  prince's 
face. 

A  horrid  confusion  came  over  Otto.  He  perceived  that  he  had 
acted  rudely,  grossly  presuming  on  his  station.  And  perhaps  a 
little  shiver  of  physical  alarm  mingled  with  his  remorse,  for  the 
fellow  was  very  powerful,  and  not  more  than  half  in  the  possession 
of  his  senses.  "Take  your  hand  from  my  rein,"  he  said,  with  a 
suificient  assumption  of  command;  and  when  the  man,  rather  to  his 
wonder,  had  obeyed:  "You  should  understand,  sir,"  he  added, 
*'  that  while  I  might  be  glad  to  ride  with  you  as  one  person  of 
sagacity  with  another,  and  so  receive  your  true  opinions,  it  would 
amuse  me  very  little  to  hear  the  empty  compliments  you  would  ad- 
dress to  me  as  prince." 

"  You  think  I  would  lie,  do  you?"  cried  the  man  with  the  bottle, 
purpling  deeper. 

"  I  know  you  would,"  returned  Otto,  entering  entirely  into  his 
self-possession.  "  You  would  not  even  show  me  the  medal  j^ou 
wear  about  your  neck. "  For  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  green 
ribbon  at  the  fellow's  throat. 

The  change  was  instantaneous;  the  red  face  became  mottled  with 
yellow;  a  thick-fingered,  tottering  hand  made  a  clutch  at  the  tell- 
tale ribbon.  "  Medal!"  the  man  crieo,  wonderfully  sobered.  "J 
have  no  medal." 

' '  Pardon  me,"  said  the  prince.  "  I  will  even  tell  you  what  that 
**V2dal  bears:  a  Phoenix  burning,  Avith  the  Avord  Libertas."    The 


PRIXCE    OTTO  27 

medallist  remaining  speechless,  "  You  are  a  pretty  fellow,"  contin- 
ued Otto,  smiling,  "  to  complain  of  incivili'y  from  the  mau  whom 
you  conspire  to  murder." 

"Murder!"  protested  the  man.  "Nay,  never  that;  nothing 
criminal  for  me!" 

"You  are  strangely  misinformed,"  said  Otto.  "  Conspiracy  it- 
self is  criminal,  and  insures  the  pain  of  death.  Nay,  sir,  death  it 
is;  I  will  guarantee  my  accuracy.  Not  that  you  need  he  sodeplor- 
ably  affected,  for  I  am  no  officer.  But  those  who  mingle  with  poli- 
tics should  look  at  both  sides  of  the  medal." 

"  Your  Highness — "  began  the  knight  of  the  bottle. 

"  Nonsense!  you  are  a  Republican,"  cried  Otto;  "  what  have  you 
to  do  with  highnesses?  But  let  us  continue  to  ride  forward.  Since 
you  so  much  desire  it,  I  can  not  find  it  in  my  heart  to  deprive  you  of 
my  company.  And  for  that  matter,  have  a  question  to  address  to 
you.  Why,  being  so  great  a  body  of  men — for  you  are  a  great  body 
— fifteen  thousand,  I  have  heard,  but  that  will  be  understated;  am 
I  right?" 

The  man  gurgled  in  his  throat. 

"  Why,  then,  being  so  considerable  a  party,"  resumed  Otto,  "  do 
you  not  come  before  me  boldly  with  your  wants? — what  do  I  say, 
with  your  commands?  Have  I  the  name  of  being  passionately  de- 
voted to  my  throne?  I  can  scarce  suppose  it.  Come,  then;  show 
me  j'our  majority,  and  I  will  instantly  resign.  Tell  this  to  your 
friends;  assure  them  from  me  of  my  docility;  assure  them  that, 
however  they  conceive  of  mj^  deflciences,  they  can  not  suppose  me 
more  unfit  to  be  a  ruler  than  I  do  myself.  I  am  one  of  the  worst 
princes  in  Europe;  will  they  improve  on  that?" 

"  Far  be  it  from  me — "  the  man  began. 

"  See,  now,  if  you  will  not  defend  my  gOA^ernmentl"  cried  Otto. 
"  Oh,  sir,  if  I  were  you,  I  would  leave  conspiracies.  You  are  as 
little  fit  to  be  a  conspirator  as  I  to  be  a  king." 

"  One  thing  I  will  say  out,"  said  the  man.  "  It  is  not  so  much 
you  that  we  complain  of;  it's  your  lady." 

"Not  a  word,  sir,"  said  the  prince;  and  then  after  a  moment's 
pause,  and  in  tones  of  some  anger  and  contempt:  "  I  once  more 
advise  you  to  have  done  with  politics,"  he  added;  "  and  when  next 
I  see  you,  let  me  see  you  sober.  A  morning  drunkard,  sir,  is  the 
last  man  to  sit  in  judgment  even  upon  the  worst  of  princes." 

"  I  have  had  a  drop,  but  I  have  not  been  drinking,"  the  man  re- 
plied, triumphing  in  a  sound  distinction.  "  And  if  I  had,  what 
then?    Nobody  hangs  by  me.     But  my  mill  is  standing  idle,  and  I 


88  PKINCE    OTTO. 

biame  it  on  your  wife.  Am  I  alone  in  that?  Go  round  and  ask. 
Where  are  the  mills?  Where  are  the  young  men  that  should  be 
working?  Wliere  is  the  currency?  All  paralyzed.  No,  sir,  it  is 
not  equal;  for  I  suffer  for  your  faults — I  pay  for  them,  by  George, 
out  of  a  poor  man's  pocket.  And  what  have  you  to  do  with  mine? 
Drunk  or  sober,  I  can  see  my  country  going  to  hell,  and  I  can  see 
whose  fault  it  is.  And  so  now,  I've  said  my  say,  and  you  may 
drag  me  to  a  stinking  dungeon;  what  care  I?  I've  spoke  the  truth, 
and  so  I'll  hold  hard,  and  not  intrude  upon  your  Highness'  society." 

And  the  miller  reined  up  and,  clumsily  enough,  saluted. 

"You  will  obsei-ve,  I  have  not  asked  your  name,"  said  Otto. 
"  I  wish  you  a  good  ride,"  and  he  rode  on  hard.  But  let  him 
ride  as  he  pleased,  this  interview  with  the  miller  was  a  choke-pear, 
which  he  could  not  swallow.  He  had  begun  by  receiving  a  reproof 
in  manners  and  ended  by  sustaining  a  defeat  in  logic,  both  from  a 
man  whom  he  despised.  All  his  old  thoughts  returued  with  fresher 
venom.  And  by  three  in  the  afternoon,  coming  to  the  cross-roads 
for  Beckstein,  Otto  decided  to  turn  aside  and  dine  there  leisurely. 
Nothing  at  least  could  be  wo^se  than  to  go  on  as  he  was  going. 

In  the  inn  at  Beckstein  1:3  remarked,  immediately  upon  his  en- 
trance, an  intelligent  young  gentleman  dining,  with  a  book  in  front 
of  him.  He  had  his  own  place  laid  close  to  the  reader,  and  with  a 
proper  apology,  broke  ground  by  asking  what  he  read. 

"  I  am  perusing,"  answered  the  j'Oung  gentleman,  "  the  last  work 
of  the  Herr  Doctor  Hohenstockwitz,  cousin  and  librarian  of  your 
prince  here  in  Grlinewald — a  man  of  great  erudition  and  some  lam- 
bencies of  vnt." 

"  I  am  acquainted,"  said  Otto,  "  with  the  Herr  Doctor,  though 
not  yet  with  his  work." 

"  Two  privileges  that  I  must  envy  you,"  replied  the  young  man, 
politely;  "  an  honor  in  hand,  a  pleasure  in  the  bush." 

"  The  Herr  Doctor  is  a  man  much  respected,  I  believe,  for  his 
attainments?"  asked  the  prince. 

"  He  is,  sir,  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  force  of  intellect,"  re- 
plied the  reader.  "  Who  of  our  young  men  know  anything  of  his 
cousin,  all  reigning  prince  although  he  be?  Who  but  has  heard  of 
Doctor  Gotthold?  But  intellectual  merit,  alone  of  all  distinctions, 
has  its  base  in  nature." 

"  I  have  the  gratification  of  addressing  a  student — perhaps  an 
author?"  Otto  suggested. 

The  young  man  somewhat  flushed.  "  I  have  some  claim  to  both 
distinctions,  sir,  as  you  suppose,"  said  he;  "  there  is  my  card.    I 


PRINCE    OTTO.  S9 

am  the  licentiate  Roederer,  author  of  several  works  on  the  theoi^ 

and  practice  of  politics." 

"  You  immensely  interest  me,"  said  tlie  prince;  "  the  more  so  as 
I  gather  that  here  in  Grilnewald  we  are  on  the  brink  of  revolution. 
Pray,  sir,  since  these  have  been  your  special  studies,  would  you 
augur  hopefully  of  such  a  movement?" 

"  I  perceive,"  said  the  young  author,  with  a  certain  vinegary 
twitch,  "  that  you  are  unacquainted  with  my  opuscula.  I  am  a  con- 
vinced authoritarian.  I  share  none  of  those  illusory,  Utopian  fancies 
with  which  empirics  blind  themselves  and  exasperate  the  ignorant. 
The  day  of  these  ideas  is,  believe  me,  past,  or  at  least  passing." 
"  When  I  look  about  me — "  began  Otto. 

"  Wlien  you  look  about  you,"  interrupted  the  licentiate,  "you 
behold  the  ignorant.  But  in  the  laboratory  of  opinion,  beside  the 
studious  lamp,  we  begin  already  to  discard  these  figments.  We  be- 
gin to  return  to  nature's  order,  to  what  I  might  call,  if  I  were  to 
borrow  from  the  language  of  therapeutics,  the  expectant  treatment 
of  abuses.  You  will  not  misunderstand  me,"  he  continued:  "A 
countrj'  in  the  condition  in  which  we  find  Grlinewald,  a  prince  such 
as  your  Prince  Otto,  we  must  explicitly  condemn;  they  are  behind 
the  age.  But  I  would  look  for  a  remedy  not  to  brute  convulsions, 
but  to  the  natural  supervenience  of  a  more  able  sovereign.  I  should 
amuse  you,  perhaps,"  added  the  licentiate,  with  a  smile,  "  I  think 
I  should  amuse  you  if  I  were  to  explain  my  notion  of  a  prince.  We 
who  have  studied  in  the  closet  no  longer,  in  this  age,  propose  our- 
selves for  active  service.  The  paths,  we  have  perceived  are  incom- 
patible. I  would  not  have  a  student  on  the  throne,  though  I  would 
have  one  near  by  for  an  adviser.  I  would  set  forward  as  prince  a 
man  of  a  good,  medium  understanding,  lively  rather  than  deep;  a 
man  of  courtly  manner,  possessed  of  the  double  art  to  ingratiate  and 
to  command;  receptive,  accommodating,  seductive,  I  have  been 
observing  you  since  your  first  entrance.  Well,  sir,  were  I  a  subject 
of  Grilnewald  I  should  pray  Heaven  to  set  upon  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment just  such  another  as  yourself." 
"  The  devil  jou  would!"  exclaimed  the  prince. 
The  licentiate,  Roederer,  laughed  most  heartily.  "  I  thought  I 
should  astonish  you,"  he  said.  "These  are  not  the  ideas  of  the 
masses." 
"  They  are  not,  I  can  assure  you,"  Otto  said, 
"  Or  rather,"  distinguished  the  licentiate,  "  not  to-day,  The  time 
will  come,  however,  when  these  ideas  shall  prevail." 
"  You  will  permit  me,  sir,  to  doubt  it,"  said  Otto. 


30  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"Modesty  is  always  admirable,"  chuckled  the  theorist,  "Bui 
yet  I  assure  you,  a  man  like  you,  with  such  a  man  as,  say.  Doctor 
Gotthold  at  your  elbow,  would  be,  for  all  practical  issues,  my  ideal 
ruler. ' ' 

At  this  rate  the  hours  sped  pleasantly  for  Otto.  But  the  licentiate 
unfortunately  slept  that  night  at  Beckstein,  where  he  was,  being 
dainty  in  the  saddle  and  given  to  half  stages.  And  to  find  a  convoy 
to  Mittwalden,  and  thus  mitigate  the  company  of  his  own  thoughts, 
the  prince  had  to  make  favor  with  a  certain  party  of  wood-mer- 
chants from  various  states  of  the  empire,  who  had  been  drinking  to- 
gether somewhat  noisily  at  the  far  end  of  the  apartment. 

The  night  had  already  fallen  when  they  took  the  saddle.  The 
merchants  were  very  loud  and  mirthful;  each  had  a  face  like  a  nor'- 
west  moon;  and  they  played  pranks  with  each  others'  horses,  and 
mingled  songs  and  choruses,  and  alternately  remembered  and  forgot 
the  companion  of  their  ride.  Otto  thus  combined  society  and  soli- 
tude, hearkening  now  to  their  chattering  and  empty  talk,  now  to  the 
voices  of  the  encircling  forest.  The  starlit  dark,  the  faint  wood 
airs,  the  clank  of  the  horseshoes  making  broken  music,  accorded  to- 
gether and  attuned  his  mind.  And  he  was  still  in  a  most  equal  tem- 
per when  the  party  reached  the  top  of  that  long  hill  that  overlooka 
Mittwalden. 

Down  in  the  bottom  of  a  bowl  of  forest,  the  lights  of  the  little 
formal  town  glittered  in  a  pattern,  street  crossing  street;  away  by 
itself  on  the  right,  the  palace  was  glowing  like  a  factory. 

Although  he  knew  not  Otto,  one  of  the  wood- merchants  was  a 
native  of  the  state.  "  There,"  said  he,  pointing  to  the  palace  with 
his  whip,  "  there  is  Jezebel's  inn." 

"  What,  do  you  call  it  that?"  cried  another  laughing. 

"  Ay,  that's  what  they  call  it,"  returned  the  Grilnewalder;  and 
he  broke  into  a  song,  which  the  rest,  as  people  well  acquainted  with 
the  words  and  air,  instantly  took  up  in  chorus.  Her  Serene  High- 
ness Amalia  Seraphina,  Princess  of  Griinewald,  was  the  heroine, 
Gondremark  the  hero  of  this  ballad.     Shame  hissed  in  Otto's  ears. 

He  reined  up  short  and  sat  stunned  in  the  saddle;  and  the  singers 
continued  to  descend  the  hill  without  him. 

The  song  went  to  a  i-ough,  swashing,  popular  air;  and  long  after 
the  words  became  inaudible  the  swing  of  the  music,  rising  and  fall- 
ing, echoed  insult  in  the  Prince's  brain.  He  fled  the  sounds.  Hard 
by  him  on  his  right  a  road  struck  toward  the  palace,  and  he  fol- 
lowed it  through  the  thick  shadows  and  branching  alleys  of  the 
park.     It  was  a  busy  place  on  a  fine  summer's  afternoon,  when  the 


PRINCE    OTTO.  31 

court  and  burghers  met  and  saluted;  but  at  that  hour  of  the  night 
in  the  early  spring  it  was  deserted  to  the  roosting  birds.  Hares 
rustled  among  the  covert;  here  and  there  a  statue  stood  glimmer- 
ing, with  its  eternal  gesture;  here  and  there  the  echo  of  an  imitation 
temple  clattered  ghostly  to  the  trampling  of  the  mare.  Ten  minutes 
brought  him  to  the  ujjper  end  of  his  own  home  garden,  where  the 
small  stables  opened,  over  a  bridge,  upon  the  park.  The  yard  clock 
was  striking  the  hour  of  ten;  so  was  the  big  bell  in  the  palace  bell- 
tower;  and,  further  off,  the  belfries  of  the  town.  About  the  stable 
all  else  was  silent  but  the  stamping  of  stalled  horses  and  the  rattle 
of  halters.  Otto  dismounted;  and  as  he  did  so  a  memory  came  back 
to  him;  a  whisper  of  dishonest  grooms  and  stolen  corn,  once  hear  I, 
long  forgotten,  and  now  recurring  in  the  nick  of  opportunity.  He 
crossed  the  bridge,  and,  going  up  to  a  window,  knocked  six  or 
seven  heavy  blows  in  a  particular  cadence,  and,  as  he  did  so, 
smiled.  Presently  a  wicket  was  opened  in  the  ga^^e,  and  a  man's 
head  appeared  in  the  dim  starlight. 

"  Nothing  to-night,"  said  a  voice. 

"  Bi-ing  a  lantern,"  said  the  prince. 

"  Dear  heart  a*  mercy!"  cried  the  groom.     "  Who's  that?" 

"  It  is  I,  the  prince,"  replied  Otto.  *'  Bring  a  lantern,  take  in  the 
mare,  and  let  me  through  into  the  garden." 

The  man  remained  silent  for  a  while,  his  head  still  projecting 
through  the  wicket. 

"  His  Highness!"  he  said  at  last.  "  And  why  did  your  Highness 
knock  so  strange?" 

"  It  is  a  superstition  in  Mittwalden,"  answered  Otto,  "  that  it 
cheapens  corn." 

With  a  sound  like  a  sob  the  groom  fled.  He  was  very  white  when 
he  returned,  even  by  the  light  of  the  lantern;  and  his  hand  trembled 
as  he  undid  the  fastenings  and  took  the  mare. 

"  Your  Highness,"  he  began  at  last,  "  for  God's  sake — "  And 
there  he  paused,  oppressed  with  guilt. 

"  For  God's  sake,  what?"  asked  Otto,,  cheerfully.  "For  God's 
sake,  let  us  have  cheaper  corn,  say  I.  Good-night!"  And  he 
strode  off  into  the  garden,  leading  the  groom  petrified  once  more. 

The  garden  descended  by  a  succession  of  stone  terraces  to  the 
level  of  the  fish  pond.  On  the  far  side  the  ground  rose  again,  and 
was  cro^^^led  by  the  confused  roofs  and  gables  of  the  palace.  The 
modern  pillared  front,  the  ball-room,  the  great  library,  the  princely 
apartments,  the  busy  and  ilhuuinatcd  quarters  of  that  great  house, 
all  faced  the  towu.    The  garden  side  was  much  older;  and  here  it 


33  PEINCE    OTTO. 

■?ras  almost  dark;  only  a  few  -windows  quietly  lighted  at  various 
elevations,  1  he  great  square  tower  rose,  thinning  by  stages  like  a 
telescope;  and  on  the  top  of  all  the  flag  hung  motionless. 

The  garden,  as  it  now  lay  in  the  dusk  and  glimmer  of  the  star- 
shine,  breathed  of  April  violets.  Under  night's  cavern  arch  the 
shrubs  obscurely  bustled.  Through  the  plotted  terraces  and  down 
the  marble  stairs  the  prince  rapidly  descended,  fleeing  still  before 
uncomfortable  thoughts.  But,  alas!  from  these  there  is  no  city  of 
refuge.  And  now,  when  he  was  about  midway  of  the  descent,  dis- 
tant strains  of  music  began  to  fall  upon  his  ear  from  the  ball-room, 
where  the  court  was  dancing.  They  reached  him  faint  and  broken, 
but  they  touched  the  keys  of  memory;  and  through  and  above  them. 
Otto  heard  the  ranting  melody  of  the  wood-merchants'  song.  Mere 
blackness  seized  upon  his  mind.  Here  he  was,  coming  home;  the 
wife  was  dancing,  the  husband  had  been  playing  a  trick  upon  a 
lackey;  and  meanwhile,  all  about  them,  they  were  a  by-word  to  their 
subjects.  Such  a  prince,  such  a  husband,  such  a  man,  as  this  Otto 
had  become!    And  he  sped  the  faster  onward. 

Some  May  below  he  came  unexpectedly  upon  a  sentry;  yet  a  little 
further,  and  he  was  challenged  by  a  second;  and  as  he  crossed  the 
bridge  over  the  fish  pond,  an  officer  making  the  rounds  stopped 
him  once  more. 

The  parade  of  watch  was  more  than  usual;  but  curiosity  was 
dead  in  Otto's  mind,  and  he  only  chafed  at  the  interruption.  The 
porter  of  the  back  postern  admitted  him,  and  started  to  behold  him 
so  disordered.  Thence,  hasting  up  by  private  stairs  and  passages, 
he  came  at  length  unseen  to  his  own  chamber,  tore  off  his 
clothes,  and  threw  himself  in  the  dark  upon  his  bed.  The  music  of 
the  ball-room  still  continued  to  a  very  lively  measure;  and  still,  be- 
hind that,  he  heard  in  spirit  the  chorus  of  the  merchants  clanking 
down  the  hill. 


PEINCE    OTTO.  83 


BOOK  11. 
OF  LOVE  AND  POLJTJO& 


CHAPTER  L 

WHAT  HAPPENED  IN  THE  LIBRART. 

At  a  quarter  before  six  on  the  followiug  morning  Doctor  Gotthold 
..  iS  already  at  Lis  desk  in  the  library;  and  with  a  small  cup  of 
JlAcli.  coffee  at  his  elbow,  and  an  eye  occasionally  wandering  to  the 
busts  and  the  long  array  of  many-colored  books,  was  quietly  review- 
ing .he  labors  of  the  day  before.  He  was  a  man  of  about  forty, 
flax«;n-haired,  with  refined  features  a  little  worn,  and  bright  eyes 
somewhat  faded.  Early  to  bed  and  early  to  rise,  his  life  was  de- 
voted to  two  things:  erudition  and  Rhine  wine.  An  ancient  friend- 
ship existed  latent  between  him  and  Otto;  they  rarely  met,  but 
when  ihey  did  it  was  to  take  up  at  once  the  thread  of  their  sus- 
pended intimacy.  Gottliold,  the  virgin  priest  of  knowledge,  had 
envied  Ms  cousin,  for  half  a  day,  when  he  was  married;  he  had 
never  onvied  him  his  throne. 

Reading  was  not  a  popular  diversion  at  the  court  of  Grilnewald; 
and  that  great,  pleasant,  sunshiny  gallery  of  books  and  statues  was, 
in  pratwlce,  Gotthold's  private  cabinet.  On  this  particular  Wednes- 
day morning,  however,  he  had  not  been  long  about  his  manuscript 
when  .4  door  opened  and  the  prince  stepped  into  the  apartment.  The 
doctor  watched  him  as  he  drew  near,  receiving,  from  each  of  the 
embayed  windows  in  succession,  a  flush  of  morning  sun;  and  Otto 
looked  so  gay,  and  walked  so  airily,  he  was  so  well  dressed  and 
bi-usUed  and  frizzled,  so  point-de-vice,  and  of  such  sovereign  ele- 
gance, that  the  heart  of  his  cousin  the  recluse  was  rather  moved 
agaijst  him. 

"  Good-morning,  Gotthold,"  said  Otto,  dropping  In  a  chair. 

"  Good  morning.  Otto,"  returned  the  librarian.  "  You  are  an 
eai«y  bird.     Is  this  an  accident,  or  do  jou  begin  reforming?" 

"  It  Is  about  time,  I  fancy,"  answered  the  prince. 

"  I  can  not  imagine,"  said  the  doctor.  "  I  am  too  skeptical  to  be 
a  1  ethical  adviser;  and  as  for  good  resolutions,  I  believed  in  them 
when  I  was  young.    They  are  the  coiors  of  hope's  rainbow." 


34  PRINCE    OTTO. 

''''  If  you  come  to  think  of  it, "  said  Otto,  "I  am  not  a  popular 
sovereign."  And  with  a  look  he  changed  his  statement  to  a  ques- 
tion. 

"  Popular?  Well,  there  I  would  distinguish,"  answered  Gott- 
hold,  leaning  back  and  joining  the  tips  of  his  fingers.  "  Tliere  are 
various  kinds  of  popularity;  the  bookish,  which  is  perfectly  imper- 
sonal, as  unreal  as  the  nightmare;  the  politician's,  a  mixed  variety; 
and  yours,  which  is  the  most  personal  of  all.  Women  take  to  you; 
footmen  adore  you;  it  is  as  natural  to  like  you  as  to  pat  a  dog;  and 
were  you  a  saw-miller  you  Avould  be  the  most  popular  citizen  in 
Grunewald.  As  a  prince — well,  you  are  in  the  wrong  trade.  It  ia 
perhaps  philosophical  to  recognize  it  as  you  do." 

"  Perhaps  philosophical?"  repeated  Otto. 

"  Yes,  perhaps.     I  would  not  be  dogmatic,"  answered  Gotthold, 

"Perhaps  philosophical,  and  certainly  not  virtuous,"  Otto  re- 
sumed. 

"  Not  of  a  Roman  virtue,"  chuckled  the  recluse. 

Otto  drew  his  chair  nearer  to  the  table,  leaned  upon  it  with  his 
elbow,  and  looked  his  cousin  squarely  in  the  face.  "  In  short," 
he  asked,  "  not  manly?" 

"Well,"  Gotthold  hesitated,  "not  manly,  if  you  will."  And 
then  with  a  laugh,  "  I  did  not  know  that  you  gave  j^ourself  out  to 
be  manly,"  he  added.  "  It  was  one  of  the  points  that  I  inclined  to 
like  about  you;  inclined.  I  believe,  to  admire.  The  names  of  vir- 
tues exercise  a  charm  on  most  of  us;  we  must  lay  claim  to  all  of 
them,  however  incompatible;  Ave  must  all  be  both  daring  and  pru- 
dent; we  must  all  vaunt  ovu-  pride  and  go  to  the  stake  for  our  humil 
ity.  Not  so  you.  Without  compromise  j'ou  were  yourself;  a  pretty 
sight.     I  have  always  said  it;  none  so  void  of  all  pretense  as  Otto." 

"  Prepense  and  effort  both!"  cried  Otto.  "A  dead  dog  in  a 
canal  is  more  alive.  And  the  question,  Gotthold,  the  question  that 
I  have  to  face  is  this:  Can  I  not,  with  effort  and  self-denial,  can  I  not 
become  a  tolerable  sovereign?" 

"  Never,"  replied  Gotthold.  "  Dismiss  the  notion.  And  besides, 
dear  child,  you  would  not  try." 

"  Nay,  Gotthold,  I  am  not  to  be  put  by,"  said  Otto.  "  If  I  am 
constitutionally  unfit  to  be  a  sovereign,  what  am  I  doing  with  this 
money,  with  this  palace,  with  these  guards?  And  I  -a  thief — am 
to  execute  the  law  on  others?" 

•  I  admit  the  difficulty,"  said  Gotthold. 

"  Well,  can  I  not  try?"  continued  Otto.  "  Am  I  not  bound  to 
try?    And  Tvith  the  advice  and  help  of  such  a  man  as  you — " 


PEIXCE    OTTO.  35 

"  Me!"  cried  the  librarian.     "  Now,  God  forbid!" 

Otto,  though  he  was  in  no  ver}^  smiling  humor,  could  not  forbear 
to  smile.  "  Yet  1  was  told  last  night,"  he  laughed,  "  that  with  a 
man  like  me  to  impersonate,  and  a  man  like  j'ou  to  touch  the 
springs,  a  very  possible  government  could  be  composed." 

"Now,  I  wonder  in  what  diseased  imagination,"  Gotthold  said, 
"  that  preposterous  monster  saw  the  light  of  daj^?" 

"It  was  one  of  j-our  own  trade — a  writer;  one  Roederer,"  said 
Otto. 

"  Eoederer!  an  ignorant  puppy!"  cried  the  librarian. 

"  You  are  ungrateful,"  said  Otto.  "  He  is  one  of  your  professed 
admirers. ' ' 

"  Is  he?"  cried  Gotthold,  obviously  impressed.  "  Come,  that  is 
a  good  account  of  the  young  man.  I  must  read  his  stuff  again.  It 
is  the  rather  to  his  credit,  as  our  \'iews  are  opposite.  The  east  and 
west  are  not  more  opposite.  Can  I  have  converted  him?  But  no; 
the  incident  belongs  to  Fairy-land." 

"  You  are  not  then,"  asked  the  prince,  "  an  authoritarian?" 

"I?  God  bless  me,  no!"  said  Gotthold.  "I  am  a  red,  dear 
child." 

"  That  brings  me  then  to  my  next  point,  and  by  a  natural  transi- 
tion. If  I  am  so  clearlj^  unfitted  for  my  post,"  the  prince  asked; 
"  if  my  friends  admit  it,  if  my  subjects  clamor  for  my  downfall,  if 
revolution  is  preparing  at  this  hour,  must  I  not  go  forth  to  meet  the 
inevitable?  should  I  not  save  these  horrors  and  be  done  with  these 
absurdities?  in  a  word,  should  I  not  abdicate?  Oh,  believe  me,  1 
feel  the  ridicule,  the  vast  abuse  of  language,"  he  added,  wincing, 
"but  even  a  principulus  like  me  can  not  resign;  he  must  make  a 
great  gesture,  and  come  buskined  forth,  and  abdicate." 

"  Aj',"  said  Gotthold,  "  or  else  stay  where  he  is.  What  gnat  has 
bitten  you  to-day?  Do  you  not  know  that  you  are  touching,  with 
lay  hands,  the  very  holiest  inwards  of  philosophy,  where  madness 
dwells?  Ay,  Otto,  madness;  for  in  the  serene  temples  of  the  wise, 
the  inmost  shrine,  which  we  keep  locked,  is  full  of  spiders'  webs. 
All  men,  all,  are  fundamentally  useless;  nature  but  tolerates,  she 
does  not  need,  she  does  not  use  them:  sterile  flowers!  All — down 
to  the  fellow  swinking  in  a  byre,  whom  fools  point  out  for  the  ex- 
ception— all  are  useless;  all  labor,  making  ropes  of  sand;  or  like  a 
child  that  has  breathed  upon  a  window,  write  and  obliterate,  WTite 
and  obliterate,  Idle  works!  Talk  of  it  no  more.  That  way,  I  tell 
you,  madness  lies."  The  speaker  rose  from  his  chair  and  then  sat 
down  again.     He  laughed  a  little  laugh,  and  then,  changing  hk 


8S  PRINCE    OTTO. 

tone,  resumed;  "  Yes,  dear  child,  we  are  not  here  to  do  battle  with 
giants;  we  are  here  to  be  happy  like  the  flowers,  if  we  can  be.  It 
is  because  you  could,  that  I  have  always  secretly  admired  you. 
Cling  to  that  trade;  believe  me,  it  is  the  right  one.  Be  happy,  be 
idle,  be  airy.  To  the  devil  with  all  casuistry!  and  leave  the  state 
to  Gondremark,  as  heretofore.  He  does  it  well  enough,  they  say; 
and  his  vanity  enjoys  the  situation. " 

"  Gotthold,"  cried  Otto,  "  what  is  this  to  me?  Useless  is  not  the 
question;  I  can  not  rest  at  uselessness;  I  must  be  useful  or  1  must 
be  noxious — one  or  other.  I  grant  you  the  whole  thing,  prince  and 
principalit^y  alike,  is  pure  absurdity,  a  stroke  of  satire,  and  that  a 
banker  or  the  man  who  keeps  an  inn  has  graver  duties.  But  now, 
when  I  have  washed  my  hands  of  it  three  years,  and  left  all — labor, 
responsibility,  and  honor  and  enjojanent,  too,  if  there  be  any — to 
Gondremark  and  to — Seraphina — "  He  hesitated  at  the  name,  and 
Gotthold  glanced  aside.  "Well,"  the  prince  continued,  "what 
has  come  of  it?  Taxes,  aimy,  cannon — why,  it's  like  a  box  of  lead 
soldiers!  And  the  people  sick  at  the  folly  of  it  all,  and  fired  with 
the  injustice!  And  war,  too — I  hear  of  war — war  in  this  teapot! 
What  a  complication  of  absiu'dity  and  disgrace!  And  when  the  in- 
evitable end  arrives — the  revolution — who  will  be  to  blame  in  the 
sight  of  God,  who  will  be  gibbeted  in  public  opinion?  I!  Prince 
Puppet!" 

"  1  thought  you  had  despised  public  opinion,"  said  Gotthold. 

"  I  did,"  said  Otto,  somberly,  "  but  now  I  do  not.  I  am  grow- 
ing old.  And  then,  Gotthold,  there  is  Seraphina.  She  is  loathed 
in  this  country  that  I  brought  her  to  and  suffered  her  to  spoil. 
Yes,  I  gave  it  her  as  a  plaything,  and  she  has  broken  it;  a  fine  prince, 
an  admirable  princess!  Even  her  life — I  ask  you,  Gotthold,  is  her 
life  safe?" 

"  It  is  safe  enough  to-day,"  replied  the  librarian;  "  but  since  you 
ask  me  seriously,  I  would  not  answer  for  to-morrow.  She  is  ill- 
advised." 

"  And  by  whom?  By  this  Gondremark,  to  whom  you  counsel 
me  to  leave  my  country,"  cried  the  prince.  "Bare  advice!  The 
course  that  I  have  been  following  all  these  years,  to  come  at  last  to 
this.  Oh,  ill  advised!  if  that  were  all!  Sfle  now,  there  is  no  sense 
in  beating  about  the  bush  between  two  men;  you  know  what  scan- 
dal says  of  her?" 

Gotthold,  with  pursed  lips,  silently  nodded. 

"  Well,  come,  you  are  not  very  cheering  as  to  my  conduct  as  tiie 
prince;  have  I  even  done  my  duty  as  a  husband?"  Otto  asked. 


PRINCE    OTTO.  37 

"  Nay,  nay,"  said  Gotthold,  earnestly  and  eagerly,  "  this  is  an- 
otlaer  chapter.  I  am  an  old  celibate,  an  old  monk.  1  can  not  advise 
you  in  your  marriage." 

'  Nor  do  I  require  advice,"  said  Otto,  rising.  "  All  of  this  must 
cease."  And  he  began  to  walk  to  and  fro  with  his  hands  behind 
his  back. 

"  Well,  Otto,  may  Grod  guide  you!"  said  Gotthold,  after  a  consid- 
erable silence.     "I  cannot." 

"  From  what  does  all  this  spring?"  said  the  prince,  stopping  in 
his  walk.  "  What  am  I  to  call  it?  Diffidence?  The  fear  of  ridi- 
cule? Inverted  vanity?  What  matter  names,  if  it  has  brought  me 
here?  I  could  never  bear  to  be  bustling  about  nothing;  I  was 
ashamed  of  this  toy  kingdom  from  the  first  beginning;  I  could  not 
tolerate  that  people  should  fancy  I  believed  in  it — a  thing  so 
patently  absurd!  I  would  do  nothing  that  can  not  be  done  smiling. 
I  have  a  sense  of  humor  forsooth!  I  must  know  better  than  my 
Maker.  And  it  was  the  same  thing  in  my  marriage,"  he  added, 
more  hoarsely.  "I  did  not  believe  this  girl  could  care  for  me;  I 
must  not  intrude;  I  must  preserve  the  foppery  of  my  indifference. 
What  an  impotent  picture!" 

"  Ay,  we  have  the  same  blood,"  moralized  Gotthold.  "  You  are 
drawing,  with  fine  strokes,  the  character  of  the  born  skeptic." 

"  Skeptic? — coward!"  cried  Otto.  "  Coward  is  the  word.  A 
springless,  putty-hearted,  cowering  coward!" 

And  as  the  prince  rapped  out  the  words  in  tones  of  unusual 
vigor,  a  little,  stout  old  gentleman,  opening  a  door  behind  Gotthold, 
received  them  fairly  in  the  face.  With  his  parrot's  beak  for  a 
nose,  his  pursed  mouth,  his  little  goggling  eyes,  he  was  the  picture 
of  formality;  and  in  ordinary  circumstances,  strutting  behind  the 
drum  of  his  coiporation,  he  impressed  the  beholder  with  a  certain 
air  of  frozen  dignity  and  wisdom.  But  at  the  smallest  contrariety, 
his  trembling  hands  and  disconnected  gestures  betrayed  the  weak- 
ness at  the  root.  And  now^,  when  he  was  thus  surprisingly  received 
in  that  library  of  Mittwalden  Palace,  which  was  the  customary 
haunt  of  silence,  his  hands  went  up  into  the  air  as  if  he  had  been 
shot,  and  he  cried  aloud  with  the  scream  of  an  old  woman. 

"  Oh!"  he  gasped,  recovering,  "  Your  highness!  I  beg  ten  thou 
sand  pardons.  But  your  highness  at  such  an  hour  in  the  library!  a 
circumstance  so  unusual  as  your  highness's  presence  was  a  thing  I 
could  not  be  expected  to  foresee." 

"  There  is  no  harm  done,  Herr  Cancellarius, "  said  Otto. 

"  I  came  upon  the  errand  of  a  moment:  some  papers  I  left  over 


38  PRINCE    OTTO. 

night  with  the  Heir  Doctor,"  said  the  Chancellor  of  Giiinewald. 
' '  Herr  Doctor,  if  you  will  kindly  give  me  them,  I  will  intrude  no 
longer. ' ' 

Gotthold  unlocked  a  drawer  and  handed  a  bundle  of  manuscript 
to  the  old  gentleman  who  prepared,  with  fitting  salutations,  to  take 
his  departure. 

"Herr  Greisengesang,  since  we  have  met,"  said  Otto,  "let  us 
talk." 

"  I  am  honored  by  his  highness 's  commands,"  replied  thp.  chan 
cellor. 

"All  has  been  quiet  since  1  left?"  asked  the  prince,  resuming 
his  seat. 

"The  usual  business,  your  highness,"  answered  Greisengesang: 
"  punctual  trifles;  huge,  indeed,  if  neglected,  but  trifles  when  dis- 
charged.    Your  highness  is  most  zealously  obeyed." 

"Obeyed,  Herr  Cancellarius?"  returned  the  prince.  "And 
when  have  I  obliged  you  with  an  order?  Replaced,  let  us  rather 
say.     But  to  touch  upon  these  trifles;  instance  me  a  few." 

"  The  routine  of  government,  from  which  your  highness  has  so 
wisely  dissociated  his  leisure,"  began  Greisengesang. 

"We  will  leave  my  leisure,  sir,"  said  Otto.  "Approach  the 
facts." 

"  The  routine  of  business  was  proceeded  with,"  replied  the  offi- 
cial, now  visiblj^  twittering. 

"It  is  very  strange,  Herr  Cancellarius,  that  you  should  so  per- 
sistently avoid  my  questions,"  said  the  prince.  "  You  tempt  me  to 
suppose  a  purpose  in  your  dullness.  I  have  asked  you  whether  all 
was  quiet;  do  me  the  pleasure  to  reply." 

"  Perfectly — Oh,  perfectly  quiet,"  jerked  the  ancient  puppet,  with 
every  signal  of  untruth. 

"  I  make  a  note  of  these  Avords,"  said  the  prince  gravely.  "  You 
assure  me,  your  sovereign,  that  since  the  date  of  my  departure, 
nothing  has  occurred  of  which  you  owe  me  an  account." 

"  I  take  j-our  highness,  I  take  the  Herr  Doctor  to  witness,"  cried 
Greisengesang,  "  that  I  have  had  no  such  expression." 

"  Halt!"  said  the  prince;  and  then,  after  a  pause:  "  Herr  Greisen- 
gesang, you  are  an  old  man,  and  you  served  my  father  before  you 
served  me,"  he  added.  "  It  consists  neither  with  j^our  dignity  nor 
mine  that  you  should  babble  excuses  and  stumble  possibly  upon 
untruths.  Collect  your  thoughts;  and  then  categorically  inform 
me  of  all  j^ou  have  been  charged  to  hide." 

Gotthold,  stooping  very  low  over  his  desk,  appeared  to  have  re- 


PRINCE    OTTO-  39 

pumed  his  lUbors;  but  his  shoulders  heaved  with  subterranean  mer 
riment.  The  prince  waited,  drawing  his  handkerchief  quietly 
through  his  fingers. 

"  Your  highness,  in  this  informal  manner,"  said  the  old  gentle- 
man at  last,  'and  being  unavoidably  deprived  of  documents,  it 
would  be  difficult,  it  would  be  impossible,  to  do  justice  to  the  some- 
what grave  occurrences  which  liave  transpired." 

"  I  will  not  criticise  your  attitude,"  replied  the  prince.  "  I  de- 
sire that,  between  you  and  me,  all  should  be  done  gently;  for  I 
have  not  forgotten,  my  old  friend,  that  you  were  kind  to  me  from 
the  first,  and  for  a  period  of  years  a  faithful  servant.  I  will  thus 
dismiss  the  matters  on  which  you  waive  immediate  inquiry.  But 
you  have  certain  papers  actually  in  your  hand.  Come,  Herr  Grei- 
sengesang,  there  is  at  least  one  point  for  which  3'ou  have  authority. 
Enlighten  me  on  that." 

"  On  that?"  cried  the  old  gentleman.  "  Oh,  that  is  a  trifle;  a  mat- 
ter, your  highness,  of  police;  a  detail  of  a  purely  administrative 
order.  These  are  simply  a  selection  of  papers  seized  upon  the  En- 
glish traveler." 

"  Seized?"  echoed  Otto.     "  In  what  sense?    Explain  yourself . " 

"Sir  John  Crabtree,"  interposed  Gotthold,  looking  up,  "  waa 
arrested  yesterday  evening." 

"  Is  this  so,  Herr  Cancellarius?"  demanded  Otto  sternly. 

"  It  was  judged  right,  j'our  highness,"  protested  Greisengesang. 
"  The  decree  was  in  due  form,  invested  with  j-our  highness's  au- 
thority by  procuration.  I  am  but  an  agent;  I  had  no  status  to  pre- 
vent the  measure. ' ' 

"  This  man,  my  guest,  has  been  arrested,"  said  the  prince.  "  On 
what  grounds,  sir?    With  what  color  of  pretense?" 

The  chancellor  stammered. 

"Your  highness  will  perhaps  find  the  reason  in  these  docu- 
ments," said  Gotthold,  pointing  with  the  tail  of  his  pen. 

Otto  thanked  his  cousin  with  a  look.  "  Give  them  to  me,"  he 
«aid,  addressing  the  chancellor. 

But  that  gentleman  visibly  hesitated  to  obey.  "  Baron  von  Gon- 
dremark,"  he  said,  "has  made  the  affair  his  own.  I  am  in  this 
case  a  mere  messenger;  and  as  such,  I  am  not  clothed  with  any 
capacity  to  communicate  the  documents  I  carry.  Herr  Doctor,  I 
am  convinced  you  will  not  fail  to  bear  me  out." 

"I  have  heard  a  great  deal  of  nonsense,"  said  Gotthold,  "and 
iviostof  it  from  you;  but  this  beats  all." 

"  Come,  sir,"  said  Otto,  rising.  "  the  papers.    I  command.'' 


40  PRINCE    OTTO. 

Herr  Greisengesang  instantly  gave  way. 

"  With  your  liighness's  permission,"  he  said,  "  and  laying  at  his 
feet  my  most  submissive  apologies,  I  will  now  hasten  to  attend  his 
further  orders  in  the  chancery. ' ' 

"  Herr  Cancellarius,  do  you  see  this  chair?"  said  Otto.     "  There 
is  where  you  shall  attend  my  further  orders.     Oh,  now,  no  more!' 
he  cried,  with  a  gesture,  as  the  old  man  opened  his  lips.     ' '  You 
have  sufficiently  marked  your  zeal  to  your  employer;  and  I  begin 
to  weary  of  a  moderation  you  abuse. ' ' 

The  chancellor  moved  to  the  appointed  chair  and  tooli  his  seat  in 
silence. 

"  And  now,"  said  Otto,  opening  the  roll,  "  what  is  all  this?  it 
looks  like  the  manuscript  of  a  book. ' ' 

"  It  is,"  said  Gotthold,  "  the  manuscript  of  a  book  of  travels." 

"  You  have  read  it.  Doctor  Hohenstockwitz?"  asked  the  prince. 

"  Nay,  I  but  saw  the  title  page, "  replied  Gotthold.  "But  the 
roll  was  given  to  me  open,  and  I  heard  no  word  of  any  secrecy." 

Otto  dealt  the  chancellor  an  angry  glance. 

"  I  see,"  he  went  on.  "  The  papers  of  an  author  seized  at  this 
date  of  the  world's  history,  in  a  state  so  petty  and  so  ignorant  as 
Grlinewald,  here  is  indeed  an  ignominious  folly.  Sir,"  to  the 
chancellor,  "  I  marvel  to  find  you  in  so  scurvy  an  employment.  On 
your  conduct  to  your  prince  1  will  not  dwell;  but  to  descend  to  be 
a  spy!  For  what  else  can  it  be  called?  To  seize  the  papers  of  this 
gentleman,  the  private  papers  of  a  stranger,  the  toil  of  a  life,  per- 
haps— to  open,  and  to  read  them.  And  what  have  we  to  do  with 
books?  The  Herr  Doctor  might  perhaps  be  asked  for  his  advice; 
but  we  have  no  index  expurgatoriits  in  Grlinewald.  Had  we  but 
that,  we  should  be  the  most  absolute  parody  and  farce  upon  this 
tawdry  earth. ' ' 

Yet,  even  while  Otto  spoke,  he  had  continued  to  unfold  the  roll; 
and  now,  when  it  lay  fully  open,  his  eye  rested  on  the  title  page 
elaborately  written  in  red  ink.    It  ran  thus: 

"  Memoirs 

of  a  Visit  to  the  Various 

Courts  of  Europe, 

by 

Sir  John  Crabtree,  Baronet." 

Below  was  a  list  of  chapters,  each  bearing  the  name  of  one  of  the 
European  Courts;  and  among  these  the  nineteenth  and  the  last 
upon  the  list  was  dedicated  to  Grlinewald. 


PRINCE    OTTO.  41 

"Ahl  the  Court  of  Grilnewald!"  said  Otto,  "that  should  be 
droll  reading."     And  his  curiosity  itched  for  it. 

"  A  methodical  dog,  this  English  baronet,"  said  Gotthold.  "  Each 
chapter  written  and  finished  on  the  spot .  I  shall  look  for  his  work 
when  it  appears." 

"  It  would  be  odd,  now,  just  to  glance  at  it,"  said  Otto,  wavering, 

Gotthold 's  brow  darkened,  and  he  looked  out  of  the  window. 

But  though  the  prince  comprehended  the  reproof,  his  weakness 
was  greater  than  his  strength.  "  I  will,"  he  said,  with  an  uneasy 
laugh,  "  I  will,  I  think,  just  glance  at  it." 

So  saying,  he  resumed  his  seat  and  spread  the  traveler's  manu- 
script upon  the  table. 


CHAPTER  n. 

"  ON    THE    COURT    OF    GRtJNEWALD,"  BEING    A  PORTION  OF  THB 
traveler's  MANUSCRIPT. 

"  It  may  well  be  asked  "  {it  was  Urns  the  English  traveler  began  his 
nineteenth  chapter)  "  why  I  should  have  chosen  Grilnewald  out  of  so 
many  other  states  equally  petty,  formal,  dull,  and  corrupt.  Acci- 
dent, indeed,  decided  and  not  I;  but  I  have  seen  no  reason  to  regret 
my  visit.  The  spectacle  of  this  small  society  macerating  in  its  own 
abuses  was  not  perhaps  instructive,  but  I  have  found  it  exceedingly 
diverting. 

"  The  reigning  prince.  Otto  Johann  Friedrich,  a  young  man  of 
imperfect  education,  questionable  valor,  and  no  scintilla  of  capaci  y, 
has  fallen  into  entire  public  contempt.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  [ 
obtained  an  interview,  for  he  is  frequently  absent  from  a  co  nt 
where  his  presence  is  unheeded,  and  where  his  only  role  is  to  b»J  a 
cloak  for  the  amours  of  his  wife.  At  last,  however,  on  the  th  i  d 
occasion  when  I  visited  the  palace,  I  found  this  sovereign  in  tlie 
exercise  of  his  inglorious  function,  with  the  wife  on  one  hand  and 
the  lover  on  the  other.  He  is  not  ill- looking;  he  has  hair  of  a 
ruddy  gold,  which  naturally  curls,  and  his  eyes  are  dark,  a  com- 
bination which  I  always  regard  as  the  mark  of  some  congenital 
deficiency,  physical  or  moral;  his  features  are  irregular  but  pleas- 
ing; the  nose  perhaps  a  little  short,  and  the  mouth  a  little  woman- 
ish; his  address  is  excellent,  and  he  can  express  himself  with 
point.  But  to  pierce  below  these  externals  is  to  come  on  a  vacuity 
of  any  sterling  quality,  a  deliquescence  of  the  moral  nature,  a  friv- 
olity and  inconsequence  of  puipose  that  mark  the  nearly  perfect 


"43  PRINCE    OTTO. 

fruit  of  a  decadent  age.  He  has  a  worthless  smattering  of  n\any 
subjects,  but  a  grasp  of  none.  '  I  soon  weary  of  a  pursuit, '  he 
said  to  me,  laughing;  it  would  almost  appear  as  if  he  took  a  pride 
in  his  incapacity  and  lack  of  moral  courage.  The  results  of  his 
dilettantism  are  to  be  seen  in  every  field;  he  is  a  bad  fencer,  a  sec- 
ond-rate horseman,  dancer,  shot;  he  sings — I  have  heard  him — and 
he  sings  like  a  child;  he  writes  intolerable  verses  in  more  than 
doubtful  French;  he  acts  like  the  common  amateur;  and  in  short 
there  is  no  end  to  the  number  of  the  things  that  he  does,  and  does 
badly.  His  one  manly  taste  is  for  the  chase.  In  sum,  he  is  but  a 
plexus  of  weaknesses;  the  singing  chambermaid  of  the  stage, 
tricked  out  in  man's  apioarel  and  mounted  on  a  circus  horse.  I  have 
seen  this  poor  phantom  of  a  prince  riding  out  alone  or  with  a  few 
huntsmen,  disregarded  by  all,  and  I  have  been  even  grieved  for  the 
bearer  of  so  futile  and  melancholy  an  existence.  The  last  Merovin- 
gians may  have  looked  not  otherwise. 

"  The  Princess  Araalia  Seraphina,  a  daughter  of  the  Grand  Ducal 
house  of  Toggenburg-Tannhauser,  would  be  equally  inconsiderable 
if  she  were  not  a  cutting  instrument  in  the  hands  of  an  ambitious 
man.  She  is  much  younger  than  the  prince,  a  girl  of  two-and- 
twenty,  sick  with  vanity,  superficially  clever,  and  fundamentally 
a  fool.  She  has  a  red-brown,  rolling  eye,  too  large  for  her  face,  and 
with  sparks  of  both  levity  and  ferocity;  her  forehead  is  high  and 
narrow,  her  figure  thin  and  a  little  stooping.  Her  manners,  her 
conversation,  which  she  interlards  with  French,  her  very  tastes 
and  ambitions,  are  alike  assumed;  and  the  assumption  is  ungrace- 
fully apparent;  Hoyden  playing  Cleopatra.  I  should  judge  her  to 
be  incapable  of  truth.  In  private  life  a  girl  of  this  description  em- 
broils the  peace  of  families,  walks  attended  by  a  troop  of  scowling 
swains,  and  passes,  once  at  least,  through  the  divorce  court;  it  is  a 
common  and,  except  to  the  cynic,  an  uninteresting  type.  On  the 
throne,  however,  and  in  the  hands  of  a  man  like  Gondremark,  she 
may  become  the  authoress  of  serious  public  evils. 

"Gondremark,  the  true  ruler  of  this  unfortunate  country,  is  a 
more  complex  study.  His  position  in  Grilnewald,  to  which  he  is  a 
foreigner,  is  eminently  false;  and  that  he  should  maintain  it  as  he 
does,  a  very  miracle  of  impudence  and  dexterity.  His  speech,  his 
face,  his  policy,  are  all  double :  heads  and  tails.  "Which  of  the  two 
extremes  may  be  his  actual  design,  he  were  a  bold  man  who  should 
offer  to  decide.  Yet  I  will  hazard  the  guess  that  he  follows  both  ex- 
perimentally, and  awaits,  at  the  hand  of  destiny,  one  of  those  di- 
recting hints  of  which  she  is  so  lavish  to  the  wise. 


^ 


PRINCE    OTTO.  43 

'*  On  the  one  hand,  as  Maire  de  Palais  to  the  incompetent  Otto,  and 
using  the  love-sick  princess  for  a  tool  and  mouth-piece,  he  pursues  a 
policy  of  arbitrary  poAver  and  territorial  aggrandizement.  He  luva 
called  out  the  whole  capable  male  population  of  the  state  to  military 
service;  he  has  bought  cannon;  he  has  tempted  away  promising 
othcers  from  foreign  armies;  and  he  now  begins,  in  his  interna- 
tional relations,  to  assume  the  swaggering  port  and  the  vague,  threat- 
ful  language  of  a  bully.  The  idea  of  extending  Grlinewald  may 
appear  absurd,  but  the  little  state  is  advantageously  placed,  its 
neigiibors  are  all  defenseless;  and  if  at  any  moment  the  jealousies 
of  the  greater  courts  should  neutralize  each  other,  an  active  policy 
might  double  the  principality  both  in  population  and  extent.  Cer- 
tainly at  least  the  scheme  is  entertained  in  the  court  of  Mittwalden; 
nor  do  I  myself  regard  it  as  entirely  desperate.  The  margravate 
of  Brandenburgh  has  grown  from  as  small  beginnings  to  a  formid- 
able power;  and  though  it  is  late  in  the  day  to  try  adventurous 
policies,  and  the  age  of  war  seems  ended.  Fortune,  we  must  not 
forget,  still  blindly  turns  her  wheel  for  men  and  nations.  Concur- 
rently with,  and  tributary  to,  these  warlike  preparations,  crushing 
taxes  have  been  levied,  journals  have  been  suppressed,  and  the 
country,  which  three  years  ago  was  prosperous  and  happy,  now 
stagnates  in  a  forced  inaction,  gold  has  become  a  curiosity,  and  thc> 
mills  stand  idle  on  the  mountain  streams. 

' '  On  the  other  hand,  in  his  second  capacity  of  popular  tribune, 
Gondremark  is  the  incarnation  of  the  free  lodges,  and  sits  at  the 
center  of  an  organized  conspiracy  against  the  state.  To  any  such 
movement  my  sympathies  were  early  acquired,  and  I  would  not 
willingly  let  fall  a  word  that  might  embarrass  or  retard  the  revolu- 
tion. But  to  show  that  I  speak  of  knowledge,  and  not  as  the  re- 
porter of  mere  gQssip,  I  may  mention  that  I  have  myself  been  pres- 
ent at  a  meeting  where  the  details  of  a  republican  Constitution  were 
minutely  debated  and  arranged;  and  I  may  add  that  Gondremark 
was  throughout  referred  to  by  the  speakers  as  their  captain  in  ac- 
tion and  the  arbiter  of  their  disputes.  He  has  taught  his  dupes  (for 
so  1  must  legard  them)  that  his  power  of  resistance  to  the  prin- 
cess is  limited,  and  at  each  fresh  stretch  of  authority  persuades 
them,  with  specious  reasons,  to  postpone  the  hour  of  insurrection. 
Thus  (to  give  some  instances  of  his  astute  diplomacy)  he  salved 
over  the  decree  enforcing  military  service,  under  the  plea  that  to  be 
well  drilled  and  exercised  in  arms  was  ever  a  necessary  preparation 
for  revolt.  And  the  other  day,  when  it  began  to  be  rumored  abroad 
that  a  war  was  being  forced  on  a  reluctant  neighbor,  the  Grand 


44  PRINCE    OTTO. 

Duke  of  Gerolstein,  and  I  made  sure  it  would  be  the  signal  for  an 
instant  rising,  I  was  struck  dumb  with  wonder  to  find  that  even 
this  had  been  prepared  and  was  to  be  accepted.  I  went  fiom  ono 
to  another  in  the  Liberal  camp,  and  all  were  in  the  same  story,  all 
had  been  drilled  and  schooled  and  fitted  out  with  vacuous  argu- 
ment. 'The  lads  had  better  see  some  real  fighting,'  they  said; 
'  and  besides,  it  will  be  as  well  to  capture  Gerolstein;  we  can  then 
extend  to  our  neighbors  the  blessing  of  liberty  on  the  same  day 
that  we  snatch  it  for  ourselves;  and  the  Republic  will  be  all  the 
stronger  to  resist,  if  the  kings  of  Europe  should  band  themselves  to- 
gether to  reduce  it. '  I  know  not  which  of  the  two  I  should  ad- 
mire the  more :  the  .simplicity  of  the  multitude  or  the  audacity  of 
the  adventurer.  But  such  are  the  subtleties,  and  the  quibbling 
reasons,  with  which  he  blinds  and  leads  this  people.  How  long  a 
course  so  tortuous  can  be  pursued  with  safety  I  am  incapable  of 
guessing;  not  long,  one  would  suppose;  and  yet  this  singular 
man  has  been  treading  the  mazes  for  five  years,  and  his  favor  at 
court  and  his  popularity  among  the  lodges  still  endure  unbroken. 

"  I  have  the  privilege  of  slightly  knowing  him.  Heavily  and 
somewhat  clumsily  built,  of  a  vast,  disjointed,  rambling  frame,  he 
can  still  pull  himself  together  and  figure,  not  without  admiration,  in 
the  saloon  or  the  ball-room.  His  hue  and  temperament  are  plenti- 
fully bilious;  he  has  a  saturnine  eye;  his  cheek  is  of  a  dark  blue 
where  he  has  been  shaven.  Essentially  he  is  to  be  numbered  among 
the  man-haters,  a  convinced  contemner  of  his  fellows.  Yet  he  ia 
himself  of  a  commonplace  ambition  and  greedy  of  applause.  In 
talk  he  is  remarkable  for  a  thirst  of  information,  loving  rather  to 
hear  than  to  communicate;  for  sound  and  studious  views;  and, 
judging  by  the  extreme  short-sightedness  of  common  politicians, 
for  a  remarkable  prevision  of  events.  All  this,  however,  without 
grace,  pleasantry,  or  charm,  heavily  set  forth  with  a  dull  counten- 
ance. In  our  numerous  conversations,  although  he  has  always 
heard  me  with  deference,  I  have  been  conscious  throughout  of  a 
sort  of  ponderous  finessing,  hard  to  tolerate.  He  produces  none  of 
the  effect  of  a  gentleman;  devoid  not  merely  of  pleasantry,  but  of 
all  attention  or  communicative  warmth  of  bearing.  No  gentleman, 
besides,  would  so  parade  his  amours  with  the  princess;  still  less  re- 
pay the  prince  for  his  long-suffering  with  a  studied  insolence  of  de- 
meanor and  the  fabrication  of  insulting  nicknames,  such  as  Prince 
Featherhead,  which  run  from  ear  to  ear  and  create  a  laugh  through- 
out the  country.  Gk)ndremark  has  thus  some  of  the  clumsier  charac- 
iers  of  the  self-made  man,  combined  with  an  inordinate,  almost  a 


PRINCE    OTTO.  i.") 

besotted,  pride  of  intellect  and  birth.     Heavj^,  bilious,  selfish,  iuor 
nate,  he  sits  upon  this  court  and  country  like  an  incubus, 

"  But  it  is  probable  that  he  preserves  softer  gifts  for  necessary  pur- 
poses. Indeed,  it  is  certain,  although  he  vouchsafed  none  of  it  to 
me,  that  this  cold  and  stoliil  politician  possesses  to  a  great  degree 
the  art  of  iugratiation,  and  can  be  all  things  to  all  men.  Hence 
there  has  probably  sprung  up  the  idle  legend  that,  in  private  life, 
he  is  a  gross,  romping  voluptuary.  Nothing,  at  least,  can  well  be 
more  surprising  than  the  terms  of  his  connection  with  the  princess 
Older  than  her  husband,  certainly  ugliei',  and,  according  to  the 
feeble  ideas  common  among  women,  in  every  particular  less  pleas- 
ing, he  has  not  only  seized  the  complete  command  of  all  her  thought 
and  action,  but  has  imposed  upon  her  in  public  a  humiliating  part. 
I  do  not  here  refer  to  the  complete  sacrifice  of  every  rag  of  her  rep- 
utation; for  to  many  women  these  extremities  are  in  themselves 
attractive.  But  there  is  about  the  court  a  certain  lady  of  a  di- 
sheveled reputation,  a  Countess  von  Rosen,  wife  or  widow  of  a 
cloudy  count,  no  longer  in  her  second  youth  and  already  bereft  of 
some  of  her  attractions,  who  unequivocally  occupies  the  station  of 
the  baron's  mistress.  I  had  thought,  at  first,  that  she  was  but  a 
hired  accomplice,  a  mere  blind  or  buffer  for  the  more  important 
sinner.  A  few  hours'  acquaintance  with  Madame  von  Rosen  for- 
ever dispelled  the  illusion.  She  is  one  rather  to  make  than  to  pre- 
vent a  scandal;  and  she  values  none  of  those  bribes — money,  hon- 
ors, or  employment — with  which  the  situation  might  be  gilded.  In- 
deed, as  a  person  frankly  bad,  she  pleased  me,  in  the  court  of 
Griinewald,  like  a  piece  of  nature. 

"  The  power  of  this  man  over  the  princess  is,  therefore,  without 
bounds.  She  has  sacrificed,  to  the  adoration  with  which  he  lias  in- 
spired her,  not  only  her  marriage  vow  and  every  shred  of  public 
decency,  but  that  vice  of  jealousy  which  is  so  much  dearer  to  the 
female  sex  than  either  intrinsic  honor  or  outward  consideration. 
Nay,  more :  a  young,  although  not  a  very  attractive  woman,  and  a 
princess  both  by  birth  and  fact,  she  submits  to  the  triumphant 
rivalry  of  one  who  might  be  her  mother  as  to  years,  and  who  is  so 
manifestly  her  inferior  in  station.  This  is  one  of  the  mysteries  of 
the  human  heart.  But  the  rage  of  illicit  love,  when  it  is  once  in- 
dulged, appears  to  grow  by  feeding;  and  to  a  person  of  the  charac- 
ter and  temperament  of  this  unfortunate  young  lad}^  almost  any 
depth  of  degradation  is  within  the  reach  of  possibility." 


46  PEINCE    OTTO. 


CHAPTER  m 

THE  PRINCE  AND  THE  ENGLISH  TRAVELEB. 

So  far  Otto  read,  with  waxing  indignation;  and  here  his  fury 
overflowed.  He  tossed  the  roll  upon  the  table  and  stood  up.  "  This 
man, "  he  said,  "  is  a  devil.  A  filthy  imagination,  an  ear  greedy 
of  evil,  a  ponderous  malignity  of  thought  and  language:  I  grow 
like  him  by  Ihe  reading!    Chancellor,  where  is  this  fellow  lodged?" 

' '  He  was  committed  to  the  Flag  Tower, ' '  replied  Greisengesang, 
"  in  the  Gamiani  apartment." 

"  Lead  me  to  him,"  said  the  prince;  and  then  a  thought  striking 
him,  ' '  Was  it  for  that, ' '  he  asked,  ' '  that  I  found  so  many  sentries 
in  the  garden?" 

"  Your  highness,  I  am  unaware,"  answered  Greisengesang,  true 
to  his  policy.  ' '  The  disposition  of  the  guards  is  a  matter  distinct 
from  my  functions. ' ' 

Otto  turned  upon  the  old  man  fiercely,  but  ere  he  had  time  to 
speak,  Gotthold  touched  him  on  the  arm.  He  swallowed  his  wrath 
with  a  great  efliort.  "It  is  well,"  he  said,  taking  the  roll.  "  Fol- 
low me  to  the  Flag  Tower. ' ' 

The  chancellor  gathered  himself  together,  and  the  two  set  for- 
ward. It  was  a  long  and  complicated  voyage;  for  the  library  was 
in  the  wing  of  the  new  buildings,  and  the  tower  which  carried  the 
flag  was  in  the  old  schloss  upon  the  garden.  By  a  great  variety  of 
stairs  and  corridors  they  came  out  at  last  upon  a  patch  of  graveled 
court;  the  garden,  with  a  flash  of  green,  peeped  through  a  high 
grating;  tall,  old,  gabled  buildings  mounted  on  every  sidfi;  stage 
after  stage,  the  Flag  Tower  climbed  into  the  blue,  and  high  over 
all,  among  the  building  daws,  the  yellow  banner  flaunted  in  the 
wind.  A  sentinel  at  the  foot  of  the  tower  stairs  presented  arms; 
another  paced  the  first  landing;  and  a  third  was  stationed  before 
the  door  of  the  extemporized  prison. 

"  We  guard  this  mud-bag  like  a  jewel,"  Otto  sneered. 

The  Gamiani  apartment  was  so  called  from  an  Italian  doctor  who 
had  imposed  on  the  credulity  of  a  former  prince.  The  rooms  were 
large,  airy,  pleasant,  and  looked  upon  the  garden;  but  the  walls 
were  of  great  thickness  (for  the  tower  was  old)  and  the  windows  were 
heavily  barred.  The  prince,  followed  by  the  chancellor,  still  trotting 
to^  keep  up  with  him,  brushed  swiftly  through  the  little  library 


PRIJTCE    OTTO  47 

and  the  long  saloon,  and  burst  like  a  thunderbolt  into  the  bedroom 
at  the  further  end.  Sir  John  was  finishing  his  toilet;  a  man  of 
fifty,  hard,  uncompromising,  able,  with  the  eye  and  teeth  of  phys- 
ical courage.  He  was  unmoved  by  the  irruption,  and  bowed  with 
a  sort  of  sneering  ease. 

"  To  what  am  I  to  attribute  the  honor  of  this  visit?"  he  asked. 

"  You  have  eaten  my  bread,"  replied  Otto,  "  you  have  taken  my 
hand,  you  have  been  received  under  my  roof.  When  did  I  fail 
you  in  courtesy?  What  have  you  asked  that  was  not  granted  as  to 
an  honored  guest  ?  And  here,  sir, ' '  tapping  fiercely  on  the  manu- 
script, "  here  is  your  return." 

"Your  highness  has  read  my  papers?"  said  the  baronet.  "I 
am  honored,  indeed.  But  the  sketch  is  most  imperfect.  I  shall 
now  have  much  to  add.  I  can  say  that  the  prince,  whom  I  had 
accused  of  idleness,  is  zealous  in  the  department  of  police,  taking 
upon  himself  those  duties  that  are  most  distasteful.  I  shall  be  able 
to  relate  the  burlesque  incident  of  my  arrest,  and  the  singular  inter- 
view with  which  you  honor  me  at  present.  For  the  rest,  I  have  al- 
ready communicated  with  my  embassador  at  Vienna;  and  unless 
you  propose  to  murder  me,  I  shall  be  at  liberty,  whether  you  please 
or  not,  within  the  week.  For  I  hardly  fancy  the  future  empire  of 
GrUnewald  is  yet  ripe  to  go  to  war  with  England.  I  conceive  I  am 
a  little  more  than  quits.  I  owe  you  no  explanation;  yours  has  been 
the  wrong.  You,  if  you  have  studied  my  writing  with  intelligence, 
owe  me  a  large  debt  of  gratitude.  And  to  conclude,  as  I  have  not 
yet  finished  my  toilet,  I  imagine  the  courtesy  of  a  turnkey  to  a 
prisoner  would  induce  you  to  withdraw." 

There  was  some  paper  on  the  table,  and  Otto,  sitting  down,  WTOte 
a  passport  in  the  name  of  Sir  John  Crabtree. 

"  Afiix  the  seal,  Herr  Cancellarius/ '  he  said,  in  his  most  princely 
manner,  as  he  rose. 

Greisengesang  produced  a  red  portfolio,  and  affixed  the  seal  in 
the  unpoetic  guise  of  an  adhesive  stamp;  nor  did  his  perturbed  and 
clumsy  movements  at  all  lessen  the  comedy  of  the  performance. 
Sir  John  looked  on  with  a  malign  enjoyment;  and  Otto  chafed,  re- 
gretting, when  too  late,  the  unnecessary  royalty  of  his  command 
and  gesture.  But  at  length  the  chancellor  had  finished  his  piece  of 
prestidigitation,  and,  without  waiting  for  an  order,  had  counter 
signed  the  passport.  Thus  regularized,  he  returned  it  to  Otto  witk 
a  bow. 

' '  You  will  now, ' '  said  the  prince,  ' '  order  one  of  my  own  car- 
riages to  be  prepared,  sei;  it,  with  your  own  eyes,  charged  with  Sir 


48  PRINCE    OTTO. 

John's  effects,  and  have  it  waiting  within  the  hour  behind  the 
Pheasant  House.     Sir  John  departs  this  morning  for  Vienna. " 

The  chancellor  took  his  elaborate  departure. 

"  Here,  sir,  is  your  passport,"  said  Otto,  turning  to  the  baronet 
"  I  regret  it  from  my  heart  that  you  have  met  inhospitable  usage." 

"  Well,  there  will  be  no  English  war,"  returned  Sir  John. 

"  Nay,  sir,"  said  Otto,  "  you  surely  owe  me  your  civility.  Mat- 
ters are  now  changed,  and  we  stand  again  upon  the  footing  of  two 
gentlemen.  It  was  not  I  who  ordered  your  arrest;  I  returned  late 
last  night  from  hunting;  and  as  you  can  nol  blame  me  for  your 
imprisonment,  you  may  even  thank  me  for  your  freedom." 

'■  And  yet  you  read  my  papers,"  said  the  traveler,  shrewdly. 

"  There,  sir,  I  was  wrong,"  returned  Otto;  "  and  for  that  I  ask 
your  pardon.  You  can  scarce  refuse  it,  for  your  own  dignity,  to 
one  who  is  a  plexus  of  weaknesses.  Nor  was  the  fault  entirely 
mine.  Had  the  papers  been  innocent,  it  would  have  been  at  most 
an  indiscretion.     Your  own  guilt  is  the  sting  of  my  offense." 

Sir  John  regarded  Otto  with  an  approving  twinkle;  then  he 
bowed,  but  still  in  silence. 

"  Well,  sir,  as  you  are  now  at  your  entire  disposal,  I  have  a  favor 
to  beg  of  your  indulgence, ' '  continued  the  prince.  ' '  I  have  to  re- 
quest that  you  will  walk  with  me  alone  into  the  garden,  so  soon  as 
your  convenience  permits." 

"From  the  moment  that  I  am  a  free  man,"  Sir  John  replied, 
this  time  with  perfect  courtesy,  "I  am  wholly  at  your  highness 's 
command;  and  if  jou  will  excuse  a  rather  summary  toilet,  I  will 
even  follow  you  as  I  am." 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,"  said  Otto. 

So  without  more  delay,  the  prince  leading,  the  pair  proceeded 
down  through  the  echoing  stairway  of  the  tower,  and  out  through 
the  grating,  into  the  ample  air  and  sunshine  of  the  morning,  and 
among  the  terraces  and  flower-beds  of  the  garden.  They  crossed 
the  fish-pond,  where  the  carp  were  leaping  as  thick  as  bees;  they 
mounted,  one  after  another,  the  various  flights  of  stairs,  snowed 
upon,  as  they  went,  with  April  blossoms,  and  marching  in  time  to 
the  great  orchestra  of  birds.  Nor  did  Otto  pause  till  they  had 
reached  the  highest  terrace  of  the  garden.  Here  was  a  gate  into  the 
park,  and  hard  by,  under  the  tuft  of  laurel,  a  marble  garden  seat. 
Hence  they  looked  down  on  the  green  tops  of  many  elm- trees, 
where  the  rooks  were  busy;  and,  beyond  that,  upon  the  palace  roof, 
and  the  yellow  banner  flying  in  the  blue.  ' '  I  pray  you  to  be 
seated,  sir,"  said  Otto. 


PRINCE    OTTO.  40 

Sir  John  complied  without  a  word;  and  for  some  seconds  Ottc 
walked  to  and  fro  before  him,  plunged  in  angry  thought.  The 
birds  were  all  singing  for  a  wager. 

"Sir,"  said  the  prince  at  length,  turning  toward  the  English- 
man, * '  you  are  to  me,  except  by  the  conventions  of  society,  a  per- 
fect stranger.  Of  your  character  and  wishes  I  am  ignorant.  I  have 
never  wittingly  disobliged  you.  There  is  a  difference  in  station, 
which  I  desire  to  waive.  I  would,  if  you  still  think  me  entitled  to 
so  much  consideration — I  would  be  regarded  simply  as  a  gentleman. 
Now,  sir,  I  did  wi-ong  to  glance  at  these  papers,  which  I  here  re- 
turn to  you;  but  if  curiosity  be  undignified,  as  I  am  free  to  own, 
falsehood  is  both  cowardly  and  cruel.  I  opened  your  roll;  and 
what  did  I  find — what  did  I  find  about  ray  wife?  Lies!"  he  broke 
out.  "  They  are  lies!  There  are  not,  so  help  me  God!  four  words 
of  truth  in  your  intolerable  libel.  You  are  a  man;  you  are  old  and 
might  be  the  girl's  father;  you  are  a  gentleman;  you  are  a  scholar 
and  have  learned  refinement;  and  you  rake  together  all  this  vulgar 
scandal,  and  propose  to  print  it  in  a  public  book!  Such  is  your 
chivalry!  But,  thank  God,  sir,  she  has  still  a  husband.  You  say, 
sir,  in  that  paper  in  your  hand,  that  I  am  a  bad  fencer;  I  have  to 
request  from  you  a  lesson  in  the  art.  The  park  is  close  behind; 
yopder  is  the  Pheasant  House,  where  you  will  find  your  carriage; 
should  I  fall,  you  know,  sir — you  have  written  it  in  your  paper — 
how  little  my  movements  are  regarded;  I  am  in  the  custom  of  dis- 
appearing; it  will  be  one  more  disappearance;  and  long  before  it  has 
awakened  a  remark,  you  may  be  safe  across  the  border. " 

"  You  will  observe,"  said  Sir  John,  "  that  what  you  ask  is  im- 
possible. ' ' 

"  And  if  I  struck  you?"  cried  the  prince,  with  a  sudden,  menac- 
ing flash. 

"  It  would  be  a  cowardly  blow,"  returned  the  baronet,  unmoved, 
"  for  it  would  make  no  change.  I  can  not  draw  upon  a  reigning 
Bovereign. ' ' 

"  And  it  is  this  man,  to  whom  you  dare  not  offer  satisfaction, 
that  you  choose  to  insult!"  cried  Otto. 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  the  traveler,  "  you  are  unjust.  It  is  because 
you  are  a  reigning  sovereign  that  I  can  not  fight  with  you;  and  it 
is  for  the  same  reason  that  I  have  a  right  to  criticise  your  action 
and  your  wife.  You  are  in  everything  a  public  creature;  you  be- 
long to  the  public,  body  and  bone.  You  have  witli  you  the  law, 
the  muskets  of  the  army,  and  the  eyes  of  spies.  We,  on  our  side, 
have  but  one  weapon — truth, ' ' 


50  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  Truth!"  echoed  the  prince,  with  a  gesture. 

There  was  another  silence. 

"Your  highness,"  said  Sir  John  at  last,  "you  must  not  expect 
grapes  from  a  thistle.  I  am  old  and  a  cynic.  Nobody  cares  a 
rush  for  me;  and  on  the  whole,  after  the  present  interview,  I  scarce 
know  anybody  that  I  like  better  than  I  like  yourself.  You  see,  I 
have  changed  my  mind,  and  have  the  uncommon  virtue  to  avow  the 
change.  I  tear  up  this  stuff  before  you,  here  in  your  own  garden;  I 
ask  your  pardon,  I  ask  the  pardon  of  the  princess;  and  I  give  you 
my  word  of  honor  as  a  gentleman  and  an  old  man,  that,  when  my 
book  of  travels  shall  appear,  it  shall  not  contain  so  much  as  the 
name  of  Griinewald.  And  j^et  it  was  a  racy  chapter!  But  had 
yf  ur  higlmess  only  read  about  the  other  courts!  I  am  a  carrion 
crow;  but  it  is  not  my  fault  after  all  that  the  world  is  such  a  nau- 
eeous  kennel." 

"  Sir,"  said  Otto,  "  is  the  eye  not  jaundiced?" 

"  Nay,"  cried  the  traveler,  "  verj'  likely.  I  am  one  who  goes 
sniffing;  I  am  no  poet.  I  believe  in  a  better  future  for  the  world; 
or,  at  all  accounts,  1  do  most  potently  disbelieve  in  the  present. 
Rotten  eggs  is  the  burden  of  my  song.  But  indeed,  your  highness, 
when  I  meet  with  any  merit,  I  do  not  think  that  I  am  slow  to  recog- 
nize it.  This  is  a  day  that  I  shall  still  recall  with  gratitude,  for  I 
have  found  a  sovereign  with  some  manly  virtues;  and  for  once — 
old  courtier  and  old  radical  as  I  am — it  is  from  the  heart  and  quite 
sincerely  that  I  can  request  the  honor  of  kissing  your  highness's 
hand." 

"  Nay,  sir,"  said  Otto,  "  to  my  heart!" 

And  the  Englishman,  taken  at  unawares,  was  clasped  for  a  mo- 
ment in  the  prince's  arms. 

"  And  now,  sir,"  added  Otto,  "  there  is  the  Pheasant  House;  close 
behind  it  you  will  find  my  carriage,  which  I  pray  you  to  accept. 
God  speed  you  to  Vienna!" 

"  In  the  impetuosity  of  youth,"  replied  Sir  John,  "  your  highness 
has  overlooked  one  circumstance.     I  am  still  fasting." 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Otto,  smiling,  "  you  are  your  own  master;  you 
may  go  or  stay.  But  I  warn  you,  your  friend  may  prove  less 
powerful  than  your  enemies.  The  prince,  indeed,  has  thoroughly 
acquired  you;  he  has  all  the  will  to  help;  but  to  whom  do  I  speak? 
you  know  better  than  I  do,  he  is  not  alone  in  Griinewald. ' ' 

"  There  is  a  deal  in  position,"  returned  the  traveler,  gravely 
nodding.  "  Gondremark  loves  to  temporize;  his  policy  is  below 
ground,  and  he  fears  all  open  courses;  and  now  that  1  have  seen 


PRINCE    OTTO.  61 

you  act  with  so  much  spirit,  I  will  cheerfully  risk  myself  on  yout 
protection.     Who  knows?    You  may  be  yet  the  better  man. " 

"  Do  you  indeed  believe  so?"  cried  the  prince.  "You  put  life 
into  my  heart!" 

"  I  will  give  up  sketching  portraits,"  said  the  baronet.  "  I  am  a 
blind  owl;  I  had  misread  you  strangely.  And  yet  remember  this: 
a  sprint  is  one  thing,  and  to  run  all  the  day  another.  For  1  still 
mistrust  your  constitution:  the  short  nose,  the  hair  and  eyes  of 
several  complexions;  no,  thsy  are  diagnostic;  and  I  must  end,  I 
see,  as  I  began." 

"  I  am  still  a  singing  chamber-maid?"  said  Otto. 

"  Nay,  your  highness,  I  pray  you  to  forget  what  I  had  written," 
said  Sir  John;  "  I  am  not  like  Pilate;  and  the  chapter  is  no  more. 
Bury  it,  if  you  love  me." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

WHILE  THE  PRINCE  IS  IN  THE  ANTEROOM- 

Greatly  comforted  by  the  exploits  of  the  morning,  the  prince 
turned  toward  the  princess's  anteroom,  bent  on  a  more  difficult  en- 
terprise. The  curtains  rose  before  him,  the  usher  called  his  name, 
and  he  entered  the  room  with  an  exaggeration  of  his  usual  mincing 
and  airy  dignity.  There  were  about  a  score  of  persons  waiting, 
principally  ladies;  it  was  one  of  the  few  societies  in  Grilnewald 
where  Otto  knew  himself  to  be  popular;  and  while  a  maid-of-honor 
made  her  exit  by  a  side  door  to  announce  his  arrival  to  the  prin- 
cess, he  moved  round  the  apartment,  collecting  homage  and  be- 
stowing compliments,  with  friendly  grace.  Had  this  been  the  sum 
of  his  duties,  he  had  been  an  admirable  monarch.  Lady  after  lady 
was  impartially  honored  by  liis  attention. 

"  Madam,"  he  said  to  one,  "  how  does  this  happen?  I  find  you 
daily  more  adorable." 

"And  your  highness  daily  browner, "  replied  the  lady.  "We 
began  equal:  O,  there  I  will  be  bold;  we  have  both  beautiful  com- 
plexions.    But  while  I  study  mine,  your  highness  tans  himself." 

"  A  perfect  negro,  madam;  and  what  so  fitly — being  beauty's 
slave?"  said  Otto.  '  Madame  Grafinski,  when  is  our  next  play?  I 
have  just  heard  that  I  am  a  bad  actor." 

"0  del!"''  cried  Madame  Grafinski.  "Who  could  venture? 
What  a  bear  I" 


52  PKINCE    OTTO. 

"  An  excellent  man,  I  can  assure  you,"  returned  Otto. 

"  O,  never!  O,  is  it  possible!"  fluted  the  lady.  "  Your  highness 
plays  like  an  angel." 

"  You  must  be  right,  madam;  who  could  speak  falsely  and  yet 
look  so  charming?"  said  the  prince.  "But  this  gentleman,  it 
seems,  would  have  preferred  me  playing  like  an  actor. ' ' 

A  sort  of  hum,  a  falsetto,  feminine  cooing,  greeted  the  tiny 
sally;  and  Otto  expanded  like  a  peacock.  This  warm  atmosphere 
of  women  and  flattery  and  idle  chatter,  pleased  him  to  the  marrow. 

"Madame  von  Eisenthal,  your  coiffure  is  delicious,"  he  re- 
marked. 

"  Everyone  was  saying  so,"  said  one. 

"  If  I  have  pleased  Prince  Charming!"  And  Madame  von  Eisen- 
thal swept  him  a  deep  courtsey  with  a  killing  glance  of  adoration. 

"It  is  new?"  he  askea.     "  Vienna  fashion?" 

"Mint  new,"  replied  the  lady,  "  for  your  highness's  return.  I 
felt  young  this  morning;  it  was  a  premonition.  But  why,  prince, 
do  you  ever  leave  us?" 

"  For  the  pleasure  of  the  return,"  said  Otto.  "  I  am  like  a  dog; 
I  must  bury  my  bone,  and  then  come  back  to  gloat  upon  it." 

"  Oh,  a  bone!  Fie,  what  a  comparison!  You  have  brought  back 
the  manners  of  the  wood,"  returned  the  lady. 

"  Madam,  it  is  what  the  dog  has  dearest,"  said  the  prince.  "  But 
I  observe  Madame  von  Rosen." 

And  Otto,  leaving  the  group  to  which  he  had  been  piping,  stepped 
toward  the  embrasure  of  a  window  where  a  lady  stood. 

The  Countess  von  Rosen  had  hitherto  been  silent,  and  a  thought 
depressed;  but  on  the  approach  of  Otto  she  began  to  brighten.  She 
was  tall,  slim  as  a  nymph,  and  of  a  very  airy  carriage;  and  her 
face,  which  was  already  beautiful  in  repose,  lightened  and  changed, 
flashed  into  smiles  and  glowed  with  lovely  color,  at  the  touch  of 
animation.  She  was  a  good  vocalist;  and,  even  in  speech,  her 
voice  commanded  a  great  range  of  changes,  the  low  notes  rich  with 
tenor  quality,  the  upper  ringing,  on  the  brink  of  laughter,  into 
music.  A  gem  of  many  faces  and  variable  hues  of  fire;  a  woman 
who  withheld  the  better  portion  of  her  beauty,  and  then,  in  a 
caressing  second,  flashed  it  like  a  weapon  full  on  the  beholder; 
row  merely  a  tall  figui-e  and  a  sallow  handsome  face,  with  the  evi- 
dence of  a  reckless  temper,  anon  opening  like  a  flower  to  life  and 
color,  mirth  and  tenderness.  Madame  von  Rosen  had  always  a 
dagger  in  reserve  for  the  dispatch  of  ill-assured  admirers.  She  met 
Utto  with  the  dart  of  tender  gayety. 


PRINCE    OTTO.  53 

"  You  have  come  to  me  at  last,  Prince  Cruel,"  she  said  "  But- 
terfly!    Well,  and  am  I  not  to  kiss  j^our  hand?"  she  added 

"  Madame,  it  is  I  who  must  kiss  yours."  And  Otto  bowed  and 
kissed  it. 

"You  deny  me  every  indulgence,"  she  said,  smiling, 

"  And  now  what  news  in  court?"  inquired  the  prince,  "  I  come 
to  you  for  my  gazette." 

"  Ditch-water!"  she  replied.  "  The  world  is  all  asleep,  grown 
gray  in  slumber;  I  do  not  remember  any  waking  movement  since 
quite  an  eternity;  and  the  last  thing  in  the  nature  of  a  sensation 
was  the  last  time  my  governess  was  allowed  to  box  my  ears.  But 
yet  I  do  myself  and  your  unfortunate  enchanted  palace  some  in- 
justice. Here  is  the  last — O  positively!"  And  she  told  him  the 
story  from  behind  her  fan,  with  many  glances,  many  cunning 
strokes  of  the  narrator's  art.  The  others  had  drawn  away;  for  it 
was  understood  that  Madame  von  Rosen  was  in  favor  with  the 
prince.  None  the  less,  however,  did  the  countess  lower  her  voice 
at  times  to  within  a  semitone  of  whispering;  and  the  pair  leaned 
together  over  the  narrative. 

' '  Do  you  know, ' '  said  Otto,  laughing,  ' '  you  are  the  only  enter- 
taining woman  in  this  earth?" 

"  Oh,  you  have  found  out  so  much?"  she  cried. 

"  Yes,  madame,  I  grow  wiser  with  advancing  years,"  he  re- 
turned. 

"  Years!"  she  repeated.  "  Do  vou  name  the  traitors?  I  do  not 
believe  in  years;  the  calendar  is  a  delusion. " 

"You  must  be  right,  madame,"  replied  the  prince.  "  For  six 
years  that  we  have  been  good  friends,  I  have  obserred  you  to  grow 
younger. ' ' 

"Flatterer!"  cried  she,  and  then  with  a  change,  "But  why 
should  I  say  bo,"  she  added,  "when  I  protest  I  tbink  the  same? 
A  week  ago  I  had  a  council  with  my  Father  Director,  the  glass; 
and  the  glass  replied,  '  Not  .yet!'  I  confess  my  face  in  this  way 
once  a  month.  Oh!  a  very  solemn  moment.  Do  you  know  what  I 
shall  do  when  the  mirror  answers:  '  Now  '?" 

"  I  can  not  guess,"  said  he. 

"No  more  can  I,"  returned  the  countess.  **  There  is  such  a 
choice!  Suicide,  gambling,  a  nunnery,  a  volume  of  memoirs,  oi 
politics — the  last,  I  am  afraid." 

"  It  is  a  dull  trade,"  said  Otto. 

"Nay,"  she  replied,  "it  is  a  trade  I  rather  like.  It  is  after  all 
Irst  cousin  to  gossip,  which  no  one  can  deny  to  be  amusing.     I'or 


54:  PRINCE    OTTO. 

instance,  if  I  were  to  tell  you  that  the  princess  and  the  baron  rode 
out  together  daily  to  inspect  the  cannon,  it  is  either  a  piece  of  politics 
or  scandal,  as  I  turn  my  phrase.  I  am  the  alchemist  that  makes  the 
transmutation.  They  have  been  everywhere  together  since  you 
left,"  she  continued,  brightening  as  she  saw  Otto  darken — "  that  is 
a  poor  snippet  of  malicious  gossip;  and  they  were  everywhere 
cheered — and  with  that  addition  all  becomes  political  intelligence." 

"  Let  us  change  the  subject,"  said  Otto. 

"I  was  about  to  propose  it,"  she  replied,  "or  rather  to  pursue 
the  politics.  Do  you  know?  this  war  is  popular — Oh,  but  popular! 
popular  to  the  length  of  cheering  Princess  Seraphina  ' ' 

"  All  things,  madame,  are  possible,"  said  the  prince;  "  and  lliis 
among  others,  that  we  may  be  going  into  war,  but  I  give  you  my 
word  of  honor  I  do  not  know  with  whom." 

"  And  you  put  up  with  it?"  she  cried.  "  I  have  no  pretensions 
to  morality;  and  I  confess  I  have  always  abominated  the  lamb,  and 
nourished  a  romantic  feeling  for  the  wolf.  Oh,  be  done  with  lambi- 
ness!     Let  us  see  there  is  a  prince,  for  I  am  weary  of  the  distaff." 

"  Madame,"  said  Otto,  "  I  thought  you  were  of  that  faction," 

"  1  should  be  of  yours,  mon  Prince,  if  you  had  one,"  she  re- 
torted. "  Is  it  true  tnat  you  have  no  ambition?  There  was  a  man 
once  in  England  whom  they  called  the  King-maker.  Do  you  know," 
she  added,  "  1  fancy  I  could  make  a  prince?" 

"  Some  day,  madame,"  said  Otto,  "  I  may  ask  you  to  help  make 
a  farmer. ' ' 

"  Is  that  a  riddle?"  asked  the  countess. 

"  It  is,"  replied  the  prince,  "  and  a  very  good  one,  too." 

"  Tit  for  tat.  I  will  ask  you  another,"  she  returned.  "  Where  is 
Gondremark?" 

"The  prime  minister?  In  the  prime  ministry,  no  doubt,"  said 
Otto. 

"  Precisely,"  said  the  countess;  and  she  pointed  with  her  fan  to 
the  door  of  the  princess's  apartments.  "'  You  and  I,  mon  Prince, 
are  in  the  anteroom.  You  think  me  unkind, ' '  she  added.  ' '  Try 
me  and  you  will  see.  Set  me  a  task,  put  me  a  question;  there  is  no 
enormity  I  am  not  capable  of  doing  to  oblige  you,  and  no  secret 
that  I  am  not  ready  to  betray. ' ' 

"  Nay,  madame,  but  I  respect  my  friend  too  much,"  he  answered, 
kissing  her  hand.  "I  would  rather  remain  ignorant  of  all.  "We 
fraternize  like  foemen  soldiers  at  the  outposts,  but  let  each  be  true 
to  his  own  army." 

"  Ah,"  she  cried,  "  if  men  wer«  generous  like  you,  it  would  b§ 


PKINCE    OTTO.  55 

worth  while  to  be  a  woman!"  Yet,  judging  by  her  loolcs,  his 
generosity,  if  anything,  had  disappointed  her;  she  seemed  to  seek  a 
remedy,  and,  having  found  it,  brightened  once  again.  "  And 
now,"  she  said,  "  may  I  dismiss  my  sovereign?  This  is  rebellion 
and  a  cas  pendable  !  but  what  am  I  to  do?    My  bear  is  jealous!" 

"  Madame,  enough!"  cried  Otto.  "  xlhasuerus  reaches  you  the 
scepter;  more,  he  will  obej'  you  in  all  points.  I  should  have  been 
a  dog  to  come  to  whistling. ' ' 

And  so  the  prince  departed,  and  fluttered  round  Grafinski  and 
Von  Eisenthal.  But  the  countess  knew  the  use  of  her  offensive 
weapons,  and  had  left  a  pleasant  arrow  in  the  prince's  heart.  That 
Gondremark  was  jealous — here  was  an  agreeable  revenge!  And 
Madame  von  Rosen,  as  the  occasion  of  the  jealousy  appeared  to 
him  in  a  new  light. 


CHAPTER  V. 

GONDREMARK  IS  IN  MY  LADY'S  CHAMBER. 

The  Countess  von  Rosen  spoke  the  truth.  The  great  Prime 
Minister  of  Griinewald  was  already  closeted  with  Seraphina.  The 
toilet  was  over;  and  the  princess,  tastefully  arrayed,  sat  face  to 
face  with  a  tall  mirror.  Sir  John's  description  was  unkindly  true, 
true  in  terms  and  yet  a  libel,  a  raisogynistic  masterpiece.  Her 
forehead  was  perhaps  too  high,  but  it  became  her;  her  figure  some- 
what stooped,  but  eveiy  detail  was  formed  and  finished  like  a  gem; 
her  hand,  her  foot,  her  ear,  the  set  of  her  comely  head,  were  all 
dainty  and  accordant;  if  she  was  not  beautiful,  she  was  vivid, 
changeful,  colored  and  pretty  with  a  thousand  various  prettinesses; 
and  her  ej'es,  if  they  indeed  rolled  too  consciously,  yet  rolled  to 
purpose.  They  were  her  most  attractive  feature,  yet  they  contin- 
ually bore  eloquent  false  witness  to  her  thoughts;  for  while  she 
herself,  in  the  depths  of  her  immature,  unsoftened  heart,  was  given 
altogether  to  man-like  ambition  and  the  desire  of  power,  the  eyes 
were  by  turns  bold  inviting,  fiery,  melting,  and  artful,  like  the  eyes 
of  a  rapacious  siren.  And  artful,  in  a  sense,  she  was.  Chafing 
that  she  was  not  a  man  and  could  not  shine  by  action,  she  had  con- 
ceived a  woman's  part,  of  answerable  domination;  she  sought  to 
subjugate  for  bj'-ends,  to  rain  influence  and  be  fancy  free;  and 
"while  he  loved  not  man,  loved  to  see  man  obey  her.  It  is  a  com- 
mon girl's  ambition.  Such  was  perhaps  the  lady  of  the  glove,  who 
sent  her  lover  to  the  lions.  But  the  snare  is  laid  alike  for  male 
and  female,  and  the  world  most  artfully  contrived. 


56  PRINCE    OTTO. 

Near  her,  in  a  low  chair,  Gondremark  had  arranged  his  limbs 
into  a  cat-lilve  attitude,  high-shouldered,  stooping,  and  submissive. 
The  formidable  blue  jowl  of  the  man,  and  the  dull,  bilious  eye.  set 
perhaps  a  higher  value  on  his  evident  desire  to  please.  His  face 
was  marlied  by  capacity,  temper,  and  a  kind  of  bold,  piratical  dis- 
honesty, which  it  woidd  be  calumnious  to  call  deceit.  His  manners, 
as  ne  smiled  upon  the  princess,  were  ovirfiue,  yet  hardly  elegant. 

"  Possibly,"  said  the  baron,  "  I  should  now  proceed  to  take  my 
leave.  I  must  not  keep  my  sovereign  in  the  anteroom.  Let  us 
come  at  once  to  a  decision." 

"  It  can  not,  can  not  be  put  off?"  she  asked. 

'•  It  is  impossible,"  answered  Gondremark.  "Your  highness 
sees  it  for  herself.  In  the  earlier  stages,  we  might  imitate  the  ser- 
pent; but  for  the  ultimatum,  there  is  no  choice  but  to  be  bold  like 
lions.  Had  the  prince  chosen  to  remain  away,  it  had  been  better; 
but  we  have  gone  too  far  forward  to  delay. ' ' 

"What  can  have  brought  him?"  she  cried.  "To-day  of  all 
days?" 

"  The  marplot,  madam,  has  the  instinct  of  his  nature,"  returned 
Gondremarli.  ' '  But  you  exaggerate  the  peril.  Think,  madame, 
how  far  we  have  prospered,  and  against  what  odds!  Shall  a 
Featherhead?  but  no!"  And  he  blew  upon  his  fingers  lightly  with 
a  laugh. 

"  Featherhead,"  she  replied,  "  is  still  the  Prince  of  Grilnewald." 

' '  On  your  sufferance  only,  and  so  long  as  you  shall  please  to  be 
indulgent,"  said  the  baron.  "  There  are  rights  of  nature;  power  to 
the  powerful  is  the  law.  If  he  shall  think  to  cross  your  destiny — 
well,  you  have  heard  of  the  brazen  and  the  earthen  pot." 

"  Do  you  call  me  pot?  You  are  ungallant,  baron,"  laughed  the 
princess. 

"  Before  we  are  done  with  j^our  glory,  I  shall  have  called  you  by 
many  different  titles, ' '  he  replied. 

The  girl  flushed  with  pleasure.  "  But  Frederic  is  still  the  prince, 
Monsietirele  Flatteur,"  she  said.  "You  do  not  propose  a  revolu- 
tion? you  of  all  men?" 

"Dear  madame,  when  it  is  already  made!"  he  cried.  "The 
prince  reigns  indeed  in  the  almanac;  but  my  princess  reigns  and 
rules."  And  he  looked  at  her  with  a  fond  admiration  that  made 
the  heart  of  Seraphina  swell.  Looking  on  her  huge  slave,  she  drank 
the  intoxicating  joys  of  power.  Meanwhile  he  continued  with  that 
sort  of  massive  archness  that  so  ill  became  him.  "  She  has  but  one 
fault;  tnere  is  but  one  danger  in  the  great  career  that  I  foresee  ful 


PRINCE    OTTO.  57 

her.    May  I  name  it?  may  I  be  so  irreverent?    It  is  in  herself — her 
heart  is  soft." 

"  Her  courage  is  faint,  baron,"  said  the  princess.     "  SlSpposo 
we  have  judged  ill,  suppose  we  v^'ere  defeated?" 

"  Defeated,  madame?"  returned  the  baron,  with  a  touch  of  ill 
humor.  "  Is  the  dog  defeated  by  the  hare?  Our  troops  are  all  can- 
toned along  the  frontier;  in  five  hours  the  vanguard  of  five  thousand 
bayonets  shall  be  hammering  on  the  gates  of  Brandenau;  aad  in  all 
Gerolstein  there  are  not  fifteen  hundred  men  who  can  manetiver.  It 
is  as  simple  as  a  sum.     There  can  be  no  resistance. " 

"  It  is  no  great  exploit,"  she  said.  "  Is  that  what  you  call  glory? 
It  is  like  beating  a  child." 

"  The  courage,  madame,  is  diplomatic,"  he  replied.  "  "We  take 
a  grave  step;  we  fix  the  eyes  of  Europe,  for  the  first  time,  on  Grilne- 
wald;  and  in  the  negotiations  of  the  next  three  months,  mark  me, 
we  stand  or  fall.  It  is  there,  madame,  that  I  shall  have  to  depend 
upon  your  counsels,"  he  added,  almost  gloomily.  "If  I  had  not 
seen  you  at  work,  if  I  did  not  know  the  fertility  of  your  mind,  I 
own  I  should  tremble  for  the  consequence.  But  it  is  in  this  field 
that  men  must  recognize  their  inability.  All  the  great  negotiators, 
when  they  have  not  been  women,  have  had  women  at  their  elbows. 
Madame  de  Pompadour  was  ill  served;  she  had  not  found  her 
Grondremark;  but  what  a  mighty  politician!  Catherine  de  Medfci, 
too,  what  justice  of  sight,  what  readiness  of  means,  what  elasticity 
against  defeat!  But  alas!  madam,  her  Featherheads  were  her  own 
children;  and  she  had  that  one  touch  of  vulgarity,  that  one  trait  of 
the  good-wife,  that  she  suffered  family  ties  and  affections  to  con- 
fine her  liberty." 

These  singular  views  of  history,  strictly  ad  usum  SerapJiinm, 
did  not  weave  their  usual  soothing  spell  over  the  princess.  It  was 
plain  that  she  had  taken  a  momentary  distaste  to  her  own  resolu- 
tions; for  she  continued  to  oppose  her  counselor,  looking  upon  him 
out  of  half-closed  eyes  and  with  the  shadow  of  a  sneer  upon  her 
lips.  "What  boys  men  are!"  she  said;  "what  lovers  of  big 
words!  Courage,  indeed!  If  you  had  to  scour  pans,  Herr  von 
Gondremark,  you  would  call  it,  I  suppose.  Domestic  Courage?" 

"I  would,  madame,"  said  the  baron,  stoutly,  "  if  I  scoured  them 
W(!ll.  I  would  put  a  good  name  upon  a  virtue;  you  will  not  overdo 
it;  they  are  not  so  enchanting  in  themselves." 

"  Well,  but  let  me  see,"  she  said.  "  I  wish  to  understand  3'our 
courage.  Why  we  asked  leave,  like  children!  Our  grannie  in 
Borliu,  our  imcle  in  Vienna,  the  whol^  family,  have  patted  us  ou 


58  PKINCE    OTTO. 

the  head  and  sent  us  forward.  Courage  I  I  wonder  when  I  hear 
you!" 

"  My  princess  is  unlike  herself,"  returned  the  baron.  "  She  has 
forgotten  where  the  peril  lies.  True,  we  have  received  encourage- 
ment on  every  hand;  but  my  princess  knows  too  well  on  what 
untenable  conditions;  and  she  knows  besides  how,  in  the  publicity 
of  the  diet,  these  whispered  conferences  are  forgotten  and  disowned. 
The  danger  is  very  real  " — (he  raged  inwardly  at  having  to  blow 
the  very  coal  he  had  been  quenching) — "  none  the  less  real  in  that 
it  is  not  precisely  military,  but  for  that  reason  th"  easier  to  be 
faced.  Had  we  to  count  upon  your  troops,  although  1  share  your 
highness's  expectations  of  the  conduct  of  Alvenau,  we  can  not  for- 
get that  he  has  not  been  proved  in  chief  command.  But  where 
negotiation  is  concerned,  the  conduct  lies  with  us;  and  with  your 
help,  I  laugh  at  danger." 

"  It  may  be  so,"  said  Seraphina,  sighing.  "  It  is  elsewhere  that 
I  see  danger.  The  people,  these  abominable  people — suppose  they 
should  instantly  rebel?  What  a  figure  we  should  make  in  the  eyes 
of  Europe  to  have  undertaken  an  invasion,  while  my  own  throne 
was  tottering  to  its  fall!" 

"  Nay,  madame,"  said  Gondremark,  smiling,  "  here  you  are  be- 
neath yourself.  What  is  it  that  feeds  their  discontent?  What  but 
the  taxes?  Once  we  have  seized  Gerolstein,  the  taxes  are  remitted, 
the  sons  return  covered  with  renown,  the  houses  are  adorned  with 
pillage,  each  tastes  his  little  share  of  military  glory,  and  behold  us 
once  again  a  happy  family!  '  Ay, '  they  will  say,  in  each  other's 
long  ears,  '  the  princess  knew  what  she  was  about;  she  was  in  the 
right  of  it;  she  has  a  head  upon  her  shoulders;  and  here  we  are, 
you  see,  better  off  than  before.'  But  why  should  I  say  all  this? 
It  is  what  my  princess  pointed  out  to  me  herself;  it  was  by  these 
reasons  that  she  converted  me  to  this  adventure." 

"I  think,  Herr  von  Gondremark,"  said  Seraphina,  somewhat 
tartly,  "  you  often  attribute  your  own  sagacity  to  your  princess." 

For  a  second  Gondremark  staggered  under  the  shrewdness  of  the 
attack;  the  next,  he  had  perfectly  recovered.  "Do  I?"  he  said. 
"It  is  very  possible.  I  have  observed  a  similar  tendency  in  your 
highness." 

It  was  so  openly  spoken,  and  appeared  so  just,  that  Seraphina 
breathed  again.  Her  vanity  had  been  alarmed,  and  the  greatness  of 
the  relief  improved  her  spirits.  "  Well,"  she  said,  "  all  this  is  lit- 
tle to  the  purpose.     We  are  keepmg  Frederic  without,  and  I  am 


PRINCE    OTTO.  59 

Still  ignorant  of  our  line  of  battle.  Come,  co-admiral,  let  us  con- 
sult." 

"Admiral?"  replied  the  baron,  smiling,  "How  many  year;* 
before  we  have  an  admiral  in  Grllnewald?" 

"It  is  a  long  way  to  the  sea,  Monsieur  V  amhitieux  ;  and  we  can 
not  have  an  admiral  until  we  have  a  port,"  she  answered. 

"  Oh,  a  long  way!"  said  Gondremark.  "  "When  a  state  begins 
growing,  it  grows  by  geometrical  progression." 

'•  Come,"  she  said,  "  you  trifle.  Monsieur  mon  premier  minidre. 
How  am  I  to  receive  him  now?  And  what  are  we  to  do  if  he 
should  appear  at  the  council?" 

"Now,"  he  answered,  "I  shall  leave  him  to  my  princess  for 
just  now!  I  have  seen  her  at  work.  Send  him  off  to  his  theatric- 
als! But  in  all  gentleness, "  he  added.  "Would  it,  for  instance, 
would  it  displease  my  sovereign  to  affect  a  headache?" 

"Never!"  said  she.  "The  woman  who  can  manage,  like  the 
man  who  can  fight,  must  never  shrink  from  an  encounter.  The 
knight  must  not  disgrace  his  weapons." 

"  Then  let  me  pray,  my  belle  dame  sans  merci,"  he  returned,  "  to 
affect  the  only  virtue  that  she  lacks.  Be  pitiful  to  the  poor  young 
man;  affect  an  interest  in  his  hunting;  be  weary  of  politics;  find  in 
his  society,  as  it  were,  a  grateful  repose  from  dry  considerations. 
Does  my  princess  authorize  the  line  of  battle?" 

"  Well,  that  is  a  trifle,"  answered  Seraphina.  "  The  council — 
there  is  the  point." 

"The  council?"  cried  Grondremark.  "Permit  me,  madame." 
And  he  rose  and  proceeded  to  flutter  about  the  room,  counterfeiting 
Otto  both  in  voice  and  gesture  not  unhappily.  '  What  is  there  to- 
day, Herr  von  Gondremark?  Ah,  Herr  Cancellarius,  a  new  wig! 
You  can  not  deceive  me;  I  know  every  wig  in  Grllnewald;  I  have 
the  sovereign's  eye.  What  are  these  papers  about?  Oh,  I  see.  Oh, 
certainly.  Surely,  surely,  I  wager  none  of  you  remarked  that  wig. 
By  all  means.  I  know  nothing  about  that.  Dear  me,  are  there  as 
many  as  all  that?  Well,  you  can  sign  them;  you  have  the  procura- 
tion. You  see,  Herr  Cancellarius,  I  knew  your  wig.'  And  so," 
concluded  Gondremark,  resuming  his  own  voice,  "  our  sovereign, 
by  the  particular  grace  of  God,  enlightens  and  supports  his  privy 
councilors. ' ' 

But  when  the  baron  turned  to  Seraphina  for  approval,  he  found 
her  frozen.  "  You  are  pleased  to  be  witty,  Herr  von  Gondremark," 
«lie  said,  "  and  have  perhaps  forgotten  where  you  are.     But  these 


6*0  PfelKCE   OTTO. 

rehearsals  are  apt  to  be  misleading.  Your  master,  the  Prince  of 
Grlinewald,  is  sometimes  more  exacting." 

Gondremaric  cursed  her  in  his  soul.  Of  all  injured  vanities,  that 
of  the  reproved  buffoon  is  the  most  savage;  and  when  grave  issues 
are  involved,  these  petty  stabs  become  unbearable.  But  Gondre- 
mark  was  a  man  of  iron;  he  showed  nothing;  he  did  not  even,  like 
the  common  trickster,  retreat  because  he  had  presumed,  but  held  to 
his  point  bravely.  "  Madame,"  he  said,  "  if,  as  you  say,  he  prove 
exacting,  we  must  take  the  bull  by  the  horns." 

"We  shall  see,"  she  said,  and  she  arranged  her  skirt  like  one 
about  to  rise.  Temper,  scorn,  disgust,  all  the  more  acrid  feelings, 
became  her  like  jewels;  and  she  now  looked  her  best. 

"  Pray  God  they  quarrel,"  thought  Grondremark,     "  The  d d 

minx  may  fail  me  yet,  unless  they  quarrel.  It  is  time  to  let  him 
in.  Zz — fight,  dogs!"  Consequent  on  these  reflections,  he  bent  a 
stiff  knee  and  chivalrously  kissed  the  princess's  hand.  "  My  prin- 
cess," he  said,  "  must  now  dismiss  her  ser\rant.  I  have  much  to 
arrange  against  the  hour  of  council. ' ' 

"  Go,"  she  said,  and  rose. 

And  as  Gondreraark  tripped  out  of  a  private  door,  she  touched  a, 
bell,  and  gave  the  order  to  admit  the  prince. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  PRmCE  DELIVEKS  A  LECTURE  ON  MARRIAGE,   WITH  PRACTI 
CAL  ILLUSTRATIONS  OP  DIVORCE. 

With  what  a  world  of  excellent  intentions  Otto  entered  his  wife's 
cabinet!  how  fatherly,  how  tender,  how  morally  affecting  were  the 
words  he  had  prepared!  Nor  was  Seraphina  unamiably  inclined. 
Her  usual  fear  of  Otto  as  a  maiplot  in  her  great  designs  was  now 
swallowed  up  in  a  passing  distrust  of  the  designs  themselves. 
For  Gondremark,  beside.-..,  she  had  conceived  an  angry  horror.  In 
her  heart  she  did  not  like  the  baron.  Behind  his  impudent  servility, 
behind  the  devotion  which,  with  indelicate  delicacy,  he  still  forced 
on  her  attention,  she  divined  the  grossness  of  his  nature.  So  a 
man  may  be  proud  of  having  tamed  a  bear,  and  yet  sicken  at  his 
captive's  odor.  And  above  all,  she  had  certain  jealous  intimations 
that  the  man  was  false,  and  the  deception  double.  True,  she  falsely 
trifled  with  his  love;  but  he,  perhaps,  was  only  trifling  witli  her 
vanity,     The  innocence  of  his  late  mimicry  and  the  odium  of  hex 


PRINCE    OTTO.  61 

own  position  as  she  sat  and  watched  it,  lay  besides  like  a  load  upon 
her  conscience.  She  met  Otto,  almost  with  a  sense  of  guilt,  and 
yet  she  weicomed  him  as  a  deliverer  from  ugly  things. 

But  the  ivheels  of  an  interview  are  at  the  mercy  of  a  thousand 
ruts;  and  even  at  Otto's  entrance,  the  first  jolt  occurred.  Gondre- 
mark,  he  saw,  was  gone;  but  there  was  the  chair  drawn  close  for 
consultation;  and  it  pained  him,  not  only  that  this  man  had  been 
received,  but  that  he  should  depart  with  such  an  air  of  secrecy. 
Struggling  with  this  twinge,  it  was  somewhat  sharply  that  he  dis- 
missed the  attendant  who  had  brought  him  in. 

"  You  make  yourself  at  home,  chefmoi,"  she  said,  a  little  ruffled 
both  by  his  tone  of  command  and  by  the  glance  he  had  thrown 
upon  the  chair. 

"  Madame,"  replied  Otto,  "  I  am  here  so  seldom  that  I  have  al- 
most the  rights  of  a  stranger. ' ' 

"  You  choose  your  own  associates,  Frederic,"  she  said. 

"  I  am  here  to  speak  of  it,"  he  returned.  "  It  is  now  four  years 
since  we  were  married;  and  these  four  years,  Seraphina,  have  not 
perhaps  been  happy  either  for  you  or  for  me.  I  am  well  aware  I 
was  unsuitable  to  be  your  husband.  I  was  not  young,  I  had  no 
ambition,  I  was  a  trifler;  and  you  despised  me,  I  dare  not  say  un- 
justly. But  to  do  justice  on  both  sides  you  must  bear  in  mind  how 
I  have  acted.  When  I  found  it  amused  you  to  play  the  part  of 
princess  on  this  little  stage,  did  I  not  immediately  resign  to  you  my 
box  of  toys,  this  Grlinewald?  And  when  I  found  1  was  distasteful 
as  a  husband,  could  any  husband  have  been  less  intrusive?  You 
will  tell  me  that  I  have  no  feelings,  no  preference,  and  thus  no 
credit;  that  I  go  before  the  wind;  that  all  this  was  in  my  charac- 
ter; and  indeed,  one  thing  is  true,  that  it  is  easy,  too  easy,  to  leave 
things  undone;  but  Seraphina,  I  begin  to  learn  it  is  not  always  wise. 
If  I  were  too  old  and  too  uncongenial  for  your  husband,  I  should 
still  have  remembered  that  I  was  the  prince  of  that  country  to 
which  you  came,  a  visitor  and  a  child.  ]  n  that  relation  also,  there 
were  duties,  and  these  duties  I  have  not  performed." 

To  claim  the  advantage  of  superior  age  is  to  give  sure  offense. 
"  Duty!"  laughed  Seraphina,  "  and  on  your  lips,  Frederic!  You 
make  me  laugh.  What  fancy  is  this?  Go,  flirt  with  the  maids 
and  be  a  prince  in  Dresden  China,  as  you  look.  Enjoy  yourself, 
mon  enfant,  and  leave  duty  and  the  state  to  us." 

The  plural  grated  on  the  prince.  ' '  I  have  enjoyed  myself  too 
much,"  he  said,  "  since  eujo^^ment  is  the  word.  And  yet  there 
were  much  to  say  upon  the  other  side.     You  must  suppose  me  des- 


(J 9  PRIKrE    OTTO. 

perately  fond  of  hunting.  But  indeed  there  were  days  when  I 
found  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  what  it  was  courtesy  to  call  mv 
government.  And  I  have  always  had  some  claim  to  taste;  I  could 
tell  live  hapi^iness  from  dull  routine;  and  between  hunting,  and  the 
throne  of  Austria,  and  your  society,  my  choice  had  never  wavered, 
had  the  choice  been  mine.  You  were  a  girl,  a  bud,  when  you  were 
given  me — " 

"  Heavens!"  she  cried,  "  is  this  to  be  a  love  scene?" 

"I  am  never  ridiculous,"  he  said;  "it  is  my  only  merit;  and 
you  may  be  certain  this  shall  be  a  scene  of  marriage  a  la  mode.  But 
when  I  remember  the  beginning,  it  is  bare  courtesy  to  speak  in  sor- 
row. Be  just,  madame :  you  would  think  me  strangely  uncivil  to 
recal  these  days  without  the  decency  of  a  regret.  Be  yet  a  little 
juster,  and  own,  if  only  in  complaisance,  that  you  yourself  regret 
that  past. ' ' 

"I  have  nothing  to  regret,"  said  the  princess,  "You  surprise 
me.     I  thought  you  were  so  happy." 

"  Happy  and  happy,  there  are  so  many  hundred  ways,"  said  Otto. 
"  A  man  may  be  happy  in  revolt;  he  may  be  happy  in  sleep;  wine, 
change  and  travel  make  him  happy;  virtue,  they  say,  will  do  the 
like — I  have  not  tried;  and  they  say  also  that  in  old,  quiet  and 
habitual  marriages,  there  is  yet  another  happiness.  Happy,  yes;  I 
am  happy  if  you  like;  but  I  will  tell  you  frankly,  I  was  happier 
when  I  brought  you  home." 

"  Well,"  said  the  prince'^s,  not  without  constraint,  "  it  seems  you 
changed  your  mind." 

"Not  I,"  returned  Otto;  "I  never  changed.  Do  you  remem- 
ber, Seraphina,  on  our  way  home,  when  you  saw  the  roses  in  the 
lane,  and  I  got  out  and  plucked  them?  It  was  a  narrow  lane  be- 
tween great  trees;  and  at  the  end  the  sunset  was  all  gold,  and  over- 
head the  rooks  were  flying.  There  were  nine,  nine  red  roses;  you 
gave  me  a  kiss  for  each,  and  I  told  myself  that  every  rose  and 
every  kiss  should  stand  for  a  year  of  love.  Well,  in  eighteen 
months  there  was  an  end.  But  do  you  fancy,  Seraphina,  that  my 
heart  has  altered?" 

"  I  am  sure  I  can  not  tell,"  she  said,  like  an  automaton. 

"  It  has  not,"  the  prince  continued.  "  There  is  nothing  ridicu- 
lous, even  from  a  husband,  in  a  love  that  owns  itself  unhappy  and 
that  asks  no  more.  I  built  on  sand;  pardon  me,  I  do  not  breathe  a 
reproach — I  built,  I  suppose,  upon  my  own  infirmities,  but  I  put 
my  heart  in  the  building,  and  it  still  lies  among  the  ruins." 

"  How  very  poetical!  '  she  said  with  a  little  choking  laugh,  un 


PRINCE    OTTO.  63 

known  relentings,  unfamiliar  softnesses,  moving  within  her. 
"  What  would  you  be  at?"  she  added,  hardening  her  voice. 

"I  would  be  at  this,"  he  answered;  "  and  hard  it  is  to  say.  1 
would  be  a1  this:  Seraphina,  I  am  your  husband,  after  all,  and  a 
poor  fool  that  loves  you.  Understand, ' '  he  cried  almost  fiercely,  ' '  I 
am  no  suppliant  husband;  what  your  love  refuses,  I  would  scorn  to 
receive  from  your  pity.  I  do  not  ask,  I  would  not  take  it.  And  for 
jealousy,  what  ground  have  I?  A  dog-in-the-manger  jealousy  is  a 
thing  the  dogs  may  laugh  at.  But  at  least,  in  the  world's  eye, 
I  am  still  your  husband;  and  I  ask  you  if  you  treat  me  fairly?  I  keep 
to  myself,  I  leave  you  free,  I  have  given  you  in  everything  your 
will.  What  do  j'ou  in  return?  I  find,  Seraphina,  that  you  have 
been  too  thoughtless.  But  between  persons  such  as  we,  in  our  con- 
spicuous station,  particular  care  and  a  particular  courtesy  are 
owing.  Scandal  is  perhaps  not  easy  to  avoid;  but  it  is  hard  to 
bear. ' ' 

"  Scandal!"  she  cried,  with  a  deep  breath.  "  Scandal!  It  is  for 
this  you  have  been  driving!" 

"  I  have  tried  to  tell  you  how  I  feel,"  he  replied.  "  I  have  told 
you  that  I  love  you — love  you  in  vain — a  bitter  thing  for  a  hus- 
band; I  have  laid  myself  open  that  I  might  speak  without  offense. 
And  now  that  I  have  begun,  I  will  go  on  and  finish." 

"  I  demand  it,"  she  said.      "  What  is  this  about?" 

Otto  flushed  crimson.  "I  have  to  say  what  I  would  fain  not, " 
he  answered.     "  I  cpunsel  you  to  see  less  of  Gondremark." 

"  Of  Gondremark?    And  why?"  she  asked. 

"  Your  intimacy  is  the  ground  of  scandal,  madame,"  said  Otto, 
firmly  enough — "  of  a  scandal  that  is  agony  to  me,  and  would  be 
crushing  to  your  parents  if  they  knew  it." 

"  You  are  the  first  to  bring  me  word  of  it,"  said  she.  "  I  thank 
you." 

"You  have  perhaps  cause, "  he  replied.  "Perhaps  I  am  alone 
among  your  friends — " 

"  Oh,  leave  my  friends  alone,"  she  interrupted.  "  My  friends  are 
of  a  different  stamp.  You  have  come  to  me  here  and  made  a  parade 
of  sentiment.  When  have  I  last  seen  you?  I  have  governed  your 
kingdom  for  you  in  the  meanwhile,  and  there  I  got  no  help.  At 
last,  when  I  am  weary  with  a  man's  work,  and  you  are  weary  of 
your  playthings,  you  return  to  make  me  a  scene  of  conjugal  re- 
proaches— the  grocer  and  his  wife!  The  positions  are  too  much  re- 
versed; and  you  should  understand,  at  least,  that  I  can  not  at  the 
same  time  do  your  work  of  government  and  behave  myself  like  a 


64  PEINCT2    OTTO. 

little  girl.  Scandal  is  the  atmosphere  in  which  we  live — we 
princes;  it  is  what  a  prince  should  know.  You  play  an  odious 
part.     Do  you  believe  this  rumor?" 

"  Madame,  should  1  be  here?"  said  Otto. 

"It  is  what  I  want  to  know!"  she  cried,  the  tempest  of  her 
scorn  increasing.  "  Suppose  you  did — I  say,  suppose  you  did  be- 
lieve it?" 

"  I  should  make  it  my  business  to  suppose  the  contrary,"  he  an- 
swered. 

"  I  thought  so.     Oh,  you  are  made  of  baseness!"  said  she. 

"Madame,"  he  cried,  roused  at  last,  "enough  of  this.  You 
wilfully  misunderstand  my  attitude;  you  outwear  my  patience.  In 
the  name  of  your  parents,  in  my  own  name,  I  summon  you  to  be 
more  circumspect. ' ' 

"  Is  this  a  request,  Monsieur  man  mari!"  she  demanded. 

"  Madame,  if  I  chose,  I  might  command,"  said  Otto. 

"  You  might,  sir,  as  the  law  stands,  make  me  prisoner,"  returned 
Seraphina.     ' '  Short  of  that  you  will  gain  nothing. ' ' 

"  You  will  continue  as  before?"  he  asked. 

"  Precisely  as  before,"  said  she.  "As  soon  as  this  comedy  is 
over,  I  shall  request  the  Freiherr  von  Gondremark  to  visit  me.  Do 
you  understand?"  she  added,  rising.   "  For  my  part,  I  have  done." 

"  I  will  then  ask  the  favor  cf  your  hand,  madame,"  said  Otto, 
palpitating  in  every  pulse  with  anger.  "I  have  to  request  that 
you  will  visit  in  my  society  another  part  of  my  poor  house.  And 
reassure  yourself — it  will  not  take  long — and  it  is  the  last  obligation 
that  you  shall  have  the  chance  to  lay  me  under. ' ' 

"  The  last?"  she  cried.     "  Most  joyfully!" 

She  offered  her  hand,  and  he  took  it;  on  each  side  with  an 
elaborate  affectation,  each  inwardly  incandescent.  He  led  her  out 
by  the  private  door,  following  where  Gondremark  had  passed;  they 
threaded  a  corridor  or  two,  little  frequented,  loipking  on  a  court, 
until  they  came  at  last  into  the  prince's  suite.  The  first  room  was  an 
armory,  hung  all  about  with  the  weapons  of  various  countries,  and 
looking  forth  on  the  front  terrace. 

"  Have  you  brought  me  here  to  slay  me?"  she  inquired. 

"  I  have  brought  you,  madame,  only  to  pass  on,"  replied  Otto. 

Next  they  came  to  a  library,  where  an  old  chambeilain  sat  half 
asleep.  He  rose  and  bowed  before  the  princely  couple,  asking  for 
orders. 

"  You  will  attend  us  here,"  said  Otto. 

Th«  next  stage  was  a  gallery  of  pictures,  where  Seraphina 's  por 


PRINCE    OTTO.  60 

trait  hung  conspicuous,  dressed  for  the  chase,  red  roses  in  her  hair, 
as  Otto,  in  the  first  months  of  marriage,  had  directed.  lie  pointed 
to  it,  without  a  word.  She  raised  her  eyebrows  in  silence;  and  they 
passed  still  forward  into  a  matted  corridor  where  four  doors  opened. 
One  led  to  Otto's  bedroom;  one  was  the  private  door  to  Seraphina's. 
And  here,  for  the  first  time.  Otto  left  her  hand,  and  stepping  for- 
ward, shot  the  bolt. 

"It  is  long,  ma  dame,"  said  he,  "  since  it  w^as  bolted  on  the 
other  side." 

"  One  was  effectual,"  returned  the  princess.     "  Is  this  all?" 

"  Shall  I  reconduct  you?"  he  asked,  bovving. 

"  I  should  prefer,"  she  asked,  in  ringing  tones,  "  the  conduct  of 
the  Freiherr  von  Gondremark." 

Otto  summoned  the  chamberlain.  "  If  the  Freiherr  von  Gondre- 
mark is  in  the  palace,"  he  said,  "bid  him  attend  the  princess 
here."  And  when  the  official  had  departed,  "Can  I  do  more  to 
serve  you,  madame?"  the  prince  asked. 

"  Thank  you,  no.     I  have  been  much  amused,"  she  answered. 

"I  have  now,"  continued  Otto,  "given  you  your  liberty  com- 
plete.    This  has  been  for  you  a  miserable  marriage. ' ' 

"Miserable!"  said  she. 

"It  has  been  made  light  to  you;  it  shall  be  lighter  still,"  con- 
tinued the  prince.  "  But  one  thing,  madame,  you  must  still  con- 
tinue to  bear — my  father's  name,  which  is  now  yours.  I  leave  it  in 
your  hands.  Let  me  see  you,  since  you  will  have  no  advice  of 
mine,  apply  the  more  attention  of  your  own  to  bear  it  worthily." 

"  Herr  von  Gondremark  is  long  in  coming,"  she  remarked. 

"  Oh,  Seraphina,  Seraphina!"  he  cried.  And  that  was  the  end  of 
their  interview. 

She  tripped  to  a  window  and  looked  out;  and  a  little  after,  the 
chamberlain  announced  the  Freiherr  von  Gondremark,  who  entered 
with  something^  a  wild  eye  and  changed  complexion,  confounded, 
as  he  was,  at  this  unusual  summons.  The  princess  faced  round 
from  the  window  with  a  pearly  smile;  nothing  but  her  heightened 
color  spoke  of  discomposure.  Otto  was  pale,  but  he  was  otherwise 
the  master  of  himself. 

"  Herr  von  Gondremark,"  said  he,  "  oblige  me  so  far:  reconduct 
the  princess  to  her  own  apartment." 

The  baron,  still  all  at  sea,  offered  his  hand,  which  was  .smilingly 
accepted,  and  the  pair  sallied  forth  through  the  picture  gallery. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone,  and  Otto  knew  the  length  and  breadth 
of  his  miscarriage,  and  how  he  had  done  the  contrary  of  all  that  he 


C)6  Tumcv.  OTTO. 

intended,  he  stood  stupefied.  A  fiasco  so  complete  and  sweeping, 
even  to  himself,  was  laughable;  and  he  laughed  aloud  in  his 
wrath.  Upon  this  mood  there  followed  the  sharpest  violence  of 
remorse;  and  to  that  again,  as  he  recalled  his  provocation,  anger 
succeeded  afresh.  So  he  was  tossed  in  spirit;  now  bewailing  his 
inconsequence  and  lack  of  temper,  now  flaming  up  in  white-hot 
indignation  and  a  noble  pity  for  himself. 

He  paced  his  apartment  like  a  leopard.  There  was  danger  in 
Otto,  for  a  flash.  Like  a  pistol  he  could  kill  at  one  moment,  and 
the  next  he  mighl  be  kicked  aside.  But  just  then,  as  he  walked 
tlie  long  floors  in  his  alternate  humors,  tearing  his  handkerchief 
between  his  hands  he  was  strung  to  his  top  note,  every  nerve  at- 
tent.  The  pistol,  you  might  say,  was  charged.  And  when  jealousy 
from  time  to  time  fetched  him  a  lash  across  the  tenderest  of  his 
feeling,  and  sent  a  string  of  her  fire-pictures  glancing  before  his 
mind's  eye,  the  contraction  of  his  face  was  even  dangerous.  He 
disregarded  jealousy's  inventions,  yet  they  stung.  In  this  height 
of  his  anger,  he  still  preserved  his  faith  in  Seraphina's  innocence; 
but  the  thought  of  her  possible  misconduct  was  still  the  bitterest 
ingredient  in  his  pot  of  sorrow. 

There  came  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  the  chamberlain  brought 
him  a  note.  He  took  it  and  ground  it  in  his  hand,  continuing  his 
march,  continuing  his  bewildered  thoughts;  and  some  minutes  had 
gone  by  before  the  circumst«,nce  came  clearly  to  his  mind.  Then 
he  paused  and  opened  it.  It  was  a  pencil  scratch  from  Gcotthold, 
thus  conceived: 

"  The  council  is  privately  summoned  at  once. 

"G.  v.  H." 

If  the  council  was  thus  called  before  the  hour,  and  that  pri- 
vately, it  was  plain  they  feared  his  interference.  Feared :  here  was 
a  sweet  thought.  Gotthold,  too — Gotthold,  who  had  always  used 
and  regarded  him  as  a  mere  pleasant  lad,  had  now  been  at  the 
pains  to  warn  him;  Gotthold  looked  for  something  at  his  hands. 
Well,  none  should  be  disappointed;  the  prince,  too  long  beshado wed 
by  the  uxorious  lover,  should  now  return  and  shine.  He  sum- 
moned his  valet,  repaired  the  order  of  his  appearance  with  elaborate 
care;  and  then,  curled,  and  scented,  and  adorned.  Prince  Charming 
in  every  line,  but  with  a  twitching  nostril,  he  set  forth  unattended 
for  tije  wxincil. 


PRINCE    OTTO.  6? 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

THE  PRINCE   DISSOLVES  THE  COUNCIL. 

It  was  as  Gotthold  wrote.  .  The  liberation  of  Sir  Jolin,  Greisen- 
gesang's  uneasy  narrative,  last  of  all,  the  scene  between  Seraphina 
and  the  prince,  had  decided  the  conspirators  to  take  a  step  of  bold 
timidity.  There  had  been  a  period  of  bustle,  liveried  messengers 
speeding  here  and  there  with  notes;  and  at  half  past  ten  in  the 
morning,  about  an  hour  before  its  usual  hour,  the  council  of  Griine- 
wald  sat  around  the  board. 

It  was  not  a  large  body.  At  the  instance  of  Gondremark,  it  had 
undergone  a  strict  purgation,  and  was  now  composed  exclusively 
of  tools.  Three  secretaries  sat  at  a  side  table.  Seraphina  took  the 
head;  on  her  right  was  the  baron,  on  her  left  Greisengesang;  below 
these  Grafinski  the  treasurer.  Count  Eisenthal,  a  couple  of  non-com- 
batants, and,  to  the  sui-prise  of  all,  Gotthold.  He  had  been  named 
a  privy-councilor  by  Otto  merely  that  he  might  profit  by  the 
salary;  and  as  he  was  never  known  to  attend  a  meeting,  it  had  oc- 
curred to  nobody  to  cancel  his  appointment.  His  present  appearance 
was  the  more  ominous,  coming  when  it  did.  Gondremark  scowled 
upon  him;  and  the  non-combatant  on  his  right,  intercepting  this 
black  look,  edged  away  from  one  who  was  so  clearly  out  of  favor. 

"The  hour  presses,  your  highness,"  said  the  baron;  "may  we 
proceed  to  business?" 

"  At  once,"  replied  Seraphina. 

"  Your  highness  will  pardon  me,"  said  Gotthold;  "  but  you  are 
still,  perhaps,  unacquainted  with  the  fact  that  Prince  Otto  has  re- 
turned." 

"The  prince  will  not  attend  the  council,"  replied  Seraphina, 
with  a  momentary  blush.  '  The  dispatches,  Herr  Cancellarius? 
There  is  one  for  Gerolstein?" 

A  secretary  brought  a  paper. 

"  Here,  madame,"  said  Greisengesang.     "  Shall  I  read  it?" 

"We  are  all  familiar  with  its  terms,"  replied  Gondremark. 
"  Your  highness  approves?" 

"  Unhesitatingly,"  said  Seraphina. 

"It  may  then  be  held  as  read,"  concluded  the  baron.  "Will 
your  highness  sign?" 

The  princess  did  so;  Gondremark,  'Eisenthal,  and  one  of  the  nou- 


68  PKINCE    OTTO. 

combatants  followed  suit;  and  the  paper  was  then  passed  across  the 
table  to  the  librarian.     He  proceeded  leisurely  to  read. 

"  We  have  no  time  to  spare,  Herr  Doctor,"  cried  the  baron  bru- 
tally. ' '  If  you  do  not  choose  to  sign  on  the  authority  of  your  sover- 
eign, pass  it  on.  Or  you  may  leave  the  table,"  he  added,  his  tem- 
per ripping  out. 

"  I  decline  your  invitation,  Herr  yon  Gondremark;  and  my 
sovereign,  as  I  continue  to  observe  with  regret,  is  still  absent  from 
the  board,"  replied  the  doctor  calmly;  and  he  resumed  the  perusal 
of  the  paper;  the  rest  chafing  and  exchanging  glances.  "  Madame 
and  gentlemen,"  he  said  at  last,  "  what  I  hold  in  my  hand  is  simply 
a  declaration  of  war. ' ' 

"  Simplj^,"  said  Seraphina,  flashing  defiance. 

' '  The  sovereign  of  this  country  is  under  the  same  roof  with  us, ' ' 
continued  Gotthold,  "  and  I  insist  he  shall  be  summoned.  It  is 
needless  to  adduce  my  reasons;  you  are  all  ashamed  at  heart  of  this 
projected  treachery. ' ' 

The  council  waved  like  a  sea.  There  were  various  outcries. 
"  You  insult  the  princess,"  thundered  Gondremark. 

"  I  maintain  my  protest,"  replied  Gotthold. 

At  the  height  of  this  confusion,  the  door  was  thrown  open;  an 
usher  announced,  "  Gentlemen,  the  prince!"  and  Otto,  with  his 
most  excellent  bearing,  entered  the  apartment.  It  was  like  oil  upon 
the  troubled  waters;  every  one  settled  instantly  into  his  place,  and 
Greisengesang,  to  give  himself  a  countenance,  became  absorbed  in 
the  arrangement  of  his  papers;  but  in  their  eagerness  to  dissemble, 
one  and  all  neglected  to  rise. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  prince,  pausing. 

They  all  got  to  their  feet  in  a  moment;  and  this  reproof  still  fur- 
ther demoralized  the  weaker  brethren. 

The  prince  moved  slowly  toward  the  lower  end  of  the  table;  then 
he  paused  again,  and,  fixing  his  eye  on  Greisengesang.  "  How 
comes  it,  Herr  Cancellarius, "  he  asked,  "  that  I  have  receive  no  no- 
tice of  the  change  of  hoiir?" 

"  Your  highness,"  replied  the  chancellor,  "  her  highness  the  prin- 
cess— "  and  there  paus(d. 

"  I  understood,"  said  Seraphina,  taking  Mm  up,  "  that  you  did 
not  puipose  to  be  present. ' ' 

Their  eyes  met  for  a  second,  and  Seraphina's  fell;  but  her  anger 
only  burned  the  brighter  for  that  private  shame. 

"And  now,  gentlemen,"  said  Otto,  taking  his  chair,  "I  pray 
you  to  be  seated.    I  have  been  absent,  there  are  doubtless  some  ar- 


PEIJifCE    OTTO.  GI) 

rears;  but  ere  we  proceed  to  business,  Herr  Grafiuski,  you  will 
direct  four  thousand  crowns  to  be  sent  to  me  at  once.  Make  a 
note  if  you  please,"  he  added,  as  the  treasurer  still  stared  in 
wonder. 

"  Four  thousand  crowns?"  asked  Seraphina.      Pray,  for  what?" 

"  Madame,"  returned  Otto,  smiling,  "  for  my  own  puiposes." 

Gondremark  spurred  up  Grafinski  underneath  the  table.  "  If 
your  highness  will  indicate  the  destination — "  began  the  puppet. 

"  You  are  not  here,  sir,  to  interrogate  your  prince,"  said  Otto. 

Grafinski  looked  for  help  to  his  commander;  and  Gondremark 
came  to  his  aid,  in  supve  and  measured  tones.  "Your  highness 
may  reasonablj^  be  surprised, "  he  said;  "and  Herr  Grafinski,  al- 
though I  am  convinced  he  is  clear  of  the  intention  of  offending, 
would  have  perhaps  done  better  to  begin  with  an  explanation.  The 
resources  of  the  State  are  at  the  present  moment  entirely  swallowed 
up,  or,  as  we  hope  to  prove,  wisely  invested.  In  a  ipontli  from 
now,  I  do  not  question  we  shall  be  able  to  meet  any  command 
your  highness  may  lay  upon  us;  but  at  this  hour  I  fear  that,  even  in 
so  small  a  matter,  he  must  prepare  himself  for  disappointment.  Our 
zeal  is  no  less,  although  our  power  may  be  inadec|uate." 

"  How  much,  Herr  Grafinski,  have  we  in  the  treasury?"  asked 
Otto. 

"  Your  highness,"  protested  the  treasurer,  "  we  have  immediate 
need  of  every  crown.  ' 

"  I  think,  sir,  you  evade  me,"  flashed  the  prince;  and  then  turn- 
ing to  the  side  table,  ' '  Mr.  Secretary, ' '  he  added,  ' '  bring  me,  if 
you  please,  the  treasury  docket. ' ' 

Herr  Grafinski  became  deadly  pale;  the  chancellor,  expecting  his 
own  turn,  was  probably  engaged  in  prayer;  Gondremark  was 
watching  like  a  ponderous  cat.  Gotthold,  on  his  part,  looked  on 
with  wonder  at  his  cousin;  he  was  certainly  showing  spirit,  but 
what,  in  such  a  time  of  gravity,  was  all  this  talk  of  money?  and 
why  should  he  waste  his  strength  upon  a  personal  issue? 

"I  find, "  said  Otto,  with  his  finger  on  the  docket,  "that  we 
have  20,000  crowns  in  case." 

"That  is  exact,  your  highness, "  replied  the  baron.  "But  our 
liabilities,  all  of  which  are  happily  not  liquid,  amount  to  a  far 
larger  sum;  and  at  tlie  present  point  of  time,  it  would  be  morally 
impossible  to  divert  a  single  florin.  Essentially,  the  case  is  empty. 
We  have,  already  presented,  a  large  note  for  material  of  war. " 

''Material  of  war?"  exclaimed  Otto,  with  an  excellent  assump- 


70  PRINCE    OTTO. 

tion  of  surprise.  "  But  if  my  memory  serves  me  right,  we  settled 
these  accounts  in  January. ' ' 

"There  have  been  further  orders,"  the  baron  explained.  "A 
new  park  of  artillery  has  been  completed;  five  hundred  stand  of 
amis,  seven  hundred  baggage  mules — the  details  are  in  a  special 
memorandum.  Mr.  Secretary  Holtz,  the  memorandum,  if  you 
please." 

"  One  would  think,  gentlemen,  that  we  were  going  to  war,"  said 
Otto. 

"  We  are,"  said  Seraphina. 

"  War!"  cried  the  prince.  "  And,  gentlemen,  with  whom?  The 
peace  of  Griinewald  has  endured  for  centuries.  What  aggression, 
what  insult  have  we  suffered?" 

"Here,  your  highness,"  said  Gotthold,  "is  the  ultimatum.  It 
was  in  the  very  article  of  signature,  when  your  highness  so  oppor- 
tunely entered." 

Otto  laid  the  paper  before  him;  as  he  read,  his  fingers  played 
tattoo  upon  the  table.  "  Was  it  proposed,"  he  inquired,  "  to  send 
this  paper  forth  without  a  knowledge  of  my  pleasure?" 

One  of  I  he  non-combatants,  eager  to  trim,  volunteered  an  an- 
swer. "  The  Herr  Doctor  von  Hohenstockwitz  had  just  entered  his 
dissent,"  he  added. 

"  Give  me  the  rest  of  this  correspondence,"  said  the  prince.  It 
was  handed  to  him,  and  he  read  it  patiently  from  end  to  end,  while 
the  councilors  sat  foolishly  enough  looking  before  them  on  the 
table.  The  secretaries,  in  the  background,  were  exchanging  glances 
of  delight;  a  row  at  the  council  was  for  them  a  rare  and  welcome 
feature. 

"  Gentlemen, "  said  Otto,  when  he  had  finished,  "I  have  read 
with  pain.  This  claim  upon  Obermilnsterol  is  palpably  unjust;  it 
has  not  a  tincture,  not  a  show  of  justice.  There  is  not  in  all  this 
ground  enough  for  after-dinner  talk,  and  you  propose  to  force  it  as 
a  casus  belli." 

' '  Certainly,  your  highness, ' '  returned  Grondremark,  too  wise  to 
defend  the  indefensible,  "the  claim  on  Obermilnsterol  is  simply  a 
pretext." 

"It  is  well,"  said  the  prince.  "Herr  Cancellarius,  take  your 
pen.  '  The  council,'  "  he  began  to  dictate — "  I  withhold  all  notice 
of  my  intervention,"  he  said,  in  parenthesis  and  addressing  himself 
more  directly  to  his  wife;  "  and  I  say  nothing  of  the  strange  sup- 
pression by  which  this  business  has  been  smuggled  past  my  knowl- 
edge.   I  am  content  to  be  in  time,     '  The  council,'  "  he  resumed, 


PKINCE    OTTO.  71 

"  '  on  a  further  examination  of  the  facts,  and  enlightened  by  the 
note  in  the  last  dispatch  from  Gerolstein,  have  the  pleasure  to  an- 
nounce that  they  are  entirely  at  one,  both  as  to  fact  and  sentiment, 
■with  the  Grand  Ducal  Court  of  Gerolstein.'  You  have  it?  Upon 
these  lines,  sir,  you  will  draw  up  the  dispatch. ' ' 

"  If  your  highness  will  allow  me,"  said  the  baron,  "  your  high- 
ness is  so  imperfectly  acquainted  with  the  internal  history  of  this 
correspondence,  that  any  interference  will  be  merely  hurtful.  Such 
a  paper  as  j'our  highness  proposes  would  be  to  stultify  the  whole 
previous  policy  of  Grilnewald." 

"  The  policy  of  Grunewald!"  cried  the  prince.  "  One  would  sup- 
pose you  had  no  sense  of  humor!  "Would  you  fish  in  a  coffee-cup?" 
"  With  deference,  your  highness,"  returned  the  baron,  "  even  in 
a  coffee-cup,  there  may  be  poison.  The  puipose  of  this  war  is  not 
simply  territorial  enlargement;  still  less  is  it  a  war  of  glory;  for,  as 
your  highness  indicates,  tl  e  state  of  Grunewald  is  too  small  to  be 
ambitious.  But  the  body  politic  is  seriously  diseased;  republican- 
ism, socialism,  many  disintegrating  ideas  are  abroad;  circle  within 
circle,  a  really  formidable  organization  has  grown  up  about  your 
highness's  throne." 

"  I  have  heard  of  it,  Herr  von  Gondremark,"  put  in  the  prince; 
"  but  I  have  reason  to  be  aware  that  j^ours  is  the  more  authoritative 
information." 

"  I  am  honored  by  this  expression  of  my  prince's  confidence," 
returned  Gondremark,  unabashed.  "  It  is,  therefore,  with  a  single 
eye  to  these  disorders,  that  our  present  external  policy  has  been 
shaped.  Something  was  required  to  divert  public  attention,  to  em- 
ploy the  idle,  to  popularize  your  highness's  rule,  and,  if  it  were 
possible,  to  enable  him  to  reduce  the  taxes  at  a  Mow  and  to  a  notable 
amount.  The  proposed  expedition — for  it  can  not  without  h3q5er- 
bole  be  called  a  war — seemed  to  the  council  to  combine  the  various 
characters  required;  a  marked  imjjrovement  in  the  public  senti- 
ment has  followed  even  upon  our  preparations;  and  I  can  not 
doubt  that  when  success  shall  follow,  the  effect  will  surpass  even 
our  boldest  hopes." 

"  You  are  very  adroit,  Herr  von  Gondremark,"  said  Otto.  "  You 
fill  me  with  admiration.  I  had  not  heretofore  done  justice  to  your 
qualities." 

Seraphiua  looked  up  with  joy,  supposing  Otto  conquered;  but 
Gondremark  still  waited,  armed  at  every  point;  he  knew  how  very 
stubborn  is  the  revolt  of  a  weak  character. 

•'  And  the  territorial  army  scheme,  to  which  I  was  persuaded  to 


73  PRINCE    OTTO. 

consent — was  it  secretly  directed  to  the  same  end?"  the  prince 
asked. 

"  I  still  believe  the  eflfect  to  have  been  good,"  replied  the  baron; 
"  discipline  and  mounting  guard  are  excellent  sedatives.  But  I 
will  avow  to  your  highness,  I  was  unaware,  at  the  date  of  that  de- 
cree, of  the  magnitude  of  the  revolutionary  movement;  nor  did  any 
of  us,  I  think,  imagine  that  such  a  territorial  army  was  a  part  of 
the  republican  proposals." 

"  It  was?"  asked  Otto.  "Strange!  Upon  what  fancied  grounds?" 

"  The  grounds  were  indeed  fanciful,"  returned  the  baron.  "  It 
was  conceived  among  the  leaders  that  a  territorial  aimy,  drawn 
from  and  returning  to  the  people,  would,  in  the  event  of  any  popu- 
lar uprising,  prove  lukewarm  or  unfaithful  to  the  throne." 

"  I  see,"  said  the  prince.     ''  I  begin  to  understand." 

"  His  highness  begins  to  understand?"  repeated  Grondremark 
with  the  sweetest  politeness.  ' '  May  I  beg  of  him  to  complete  the 
phrase?" 

"The  history  of  the  revolution,"  replied  Otto  dryly.  "And 
now,"  he  added,  "  what  do  you  conclude?" 

"  I  conclude,  yoiu'  highness,  with  a  simple  reflection,"  said  the 
baron,  accepting  the  stab  without  a  quiver.  "  The  war  is  popular; 
were  the  rumor  contradicted  to-morrow,  a  considerable  disappoint- 
ment would  be  felt  in  many  classes;  and  in  the  present  tension  of 
spirits,  the  most  lukewarm  sentiment  may  be  enough  to  precipitate 
events.  There  lies  the  danger.  The  revolution  hangs  imminent; 
we  sit  at  this  council  board,  Velow  the  sword  of  Damocles." 

"  We  must  then  la}^  our  heads  together,"  said  the  prince,  "  and 
devise  some  honorable  means  of  safety. ' ' 

Up  to  this  moment,  since  the  first  note  of  opposition  fell  from  the 
librarian,  Seraphina  had  uttered  about  twenty  words.  With  a 
somewhat  heightened  color,  her  ej'es  generally  lowered,  her  foot 
sometimes  nervously  tapping  on  the  floor,  she  had  kept  her  own 
counsel  and  commanded  her  anger  like  a  hero.  But  at  this  stage  of 
the  engagement  she  lost  control  of  her  impatience. 

"Means!"  she  cried.  "They  have  been  found  and  prepared, 
before  j^ou  knew  the  need  for  them.  Sign  the  dispatch,  and  let  us 
be  done  with  this  delay." 

"  Madame,  I  said  '  honorable,'  "  returned  Otto,  bowing.  "  This 
war  is,  in  my  eyes  and  by  Herr  von  Gondremark's  account,  an  in- 
admissible expedient.  If  we  have  misgoverned  here  in  Griinewald, 
are  the  people  of  Gerolstein  to  bleed  and  pay  for  our  misdoings! 
Never,  madamc;  not  while  I  live.    But  I  attach  so  much  irapor 


PEINCE    OTTO.  73 

tance  to  all  that  I  have  heard  to-day  for  the  first  time — and  why 
only  to-daj%  I  do  not  even  stop  to  ask — that  I  am  eager  to  find  some 
plan  that  I  can  follow  with  credit  to  myself." 

"  And  should  you  fail?"  she  asked. 

"  Should  I  fail,  I  will  then  meet  the  blow  half-way,"  replied  the 
prince.  "  On  the  first  open  discontent,  I  shall  convoke  the  States, 
and  when  it  pleases  them  to  bid  me,  abdicate." 

Seraphiua  laughed  angrily.  ' '  This  is  the  man  for  whom  we 
have  been  la^)oring!"  she  cried.  "  We  tell  him  of  change;  he  will 
devise  the  means,  he  says;  and  his  device  is  abdication!  Sir,  have 
you  no  shame  to  come  here  at  the  eleventh  hour  among  those  who 
have  borne  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day?  Do  you  not  wonder 
at  yourself?  I,  sir,  was  here  in  my  place,  striving  to  uphold  your 
dignity  alone.  I  took  counsel  with  the  wisest  I  could  find,  while 
you  were  eating  and  hunting.  I  have  laid  my  plans  with  fore- 
sight; they  were  ripe  for  action;  and  then — "  she  choked — "then 
you  return — for  a  forenoon — to  ruin  all!  To-morrow,  you  will  be 
once  more  about  your  pleasures;  you  will  give  us  leave  once  more 
to  think  and  work  for  you;  and  again  you  will  come  back,  and 
again  you  will  thwart  what  you  had  not  the  industry  or  knowledge 
to  conceive.  Oh!  it  is  intolerable.  Be  modest,  sir.  Do  not  pre- 
sume upon  the  rank  you  can  not  worthily  uphold.  I  would  not 
issue  my  commands  with  so  much  gusto — it  is  from  no  merit  in 
yourself  they  are  obeyed.  What  are  you?  What  have  you  to  d« 
in  this  grave  council?  Go,"  she  cried,  "go  among  your  equals! 
"The  very  people  in  the  streets  mock  at  you  for  a  prince." 

At  this  surprising  outburst  the  whole  council  sat  agtiast. 

"Madame,"  said  the  baron,  alarmed  out  of  his  caution,  "com- 
mand yourself." 

"Address  yourself  to  me,  sir!"  cried  the  prince,  "i  will  not 
bear  these  whisperings!" 

Seraphina  burst  into  tears. 

"  Sir,"  cried  the  baron,  rising,  "  this  lady — " 

' '  Herr  von  Gondremark, ' '  said  the  prince,  ' '  one  more  observa- 
tion, and  I  place  you  under  arrest. " 

"  Your  highness  is  the  master,"  replied  Gondremark,  bowing. 

"Bear  it  in  mind  more  constantly,"  said  Otto.  "  Herr  Cancel- 
larius,  bring  all  the  papers  to  my  cabinet.  Gentlemen,  the  council 
is  dissolved. ' ' 

And  he  bowed  and  left  the  apartment,  followed  by  Greisengesang 
and  the  secretaries,  just  at  the  moment  when  the  princess's  ladies, 
summoned  in  all  haste,  entered  by  another  door  to  help  Uer  fortlt. 


74  PKINCE    OTTO. 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

THE  PARTY  OF  WAK    TAKES  ACTION, 

Half  an  hour  after,  Gondremark  was  once  more  closeted  with 
Seraphina. 

"  Where  is  he  now?"  she  asked,  on  his  arrival. 

"  Madame,  he  is  with  the  chancellor,"  replied  the  baron.  "  Won- 
der of  wonders,  he  is  at  work!" 

"  Ah,"  she  said,  "  he  was  born  to  torture  me!  Oh,  what  a  fall, 
what  a  humiliation!  Such  a  scheme  to  wreck  upon  so  small  a 
trifle!  Who  could  have  dreamed  he  would  become  a  bully?  But 
now  all  is  lost." 

"  Madame,"  said  Gondremark,  "  nothing  is  lost.  Something  on 
the  other  hand  is  found.  You  have  found  your  senses;  you  see  him 
as  he  is — see  him  as  you  see  everji:hing  where  your  too-good  heart 
is  not  in  question — with  the  judicial,  with  the  statesman's  eye.  So 
long  as  he  had  a  right  to  interfere,  the  empire  that  may  be  was  still 
distant.  I  have  not  entered  on  this  course  without  the  plain  fore- 
sight of  its  dangers;  and  even  for  this  I  was  prepared.  But. 
madame,  I  knew  two  things :  I  knew  that  you  were  born  to  com- 
mand, that  I  was  born  to  serve;  I  knew  that  by  a  rare  conjuncture, 
the  hand  had  found  the  tool;  and  from  the  first  I  was  confident,  as 
I  am  confident  to-day,  that  no  hereditary  trifler  has  the  power  to 
shatter  that  alliance. ' ' 

"  I,  born  to  command!"  she  said.     "  Do  you  forget  my  tears?" 

"Madame,  they  were  the  tears  of  Alexander, "  cried  the  baron. 
"  They  touched,  they  thrilled  me;  I  forgot  myself  a  moment — even 
I!  But  do  you  suppose  that  I  had  not  remarked,  that  I  had  not  ad- 
mired, your  previous  bearing?  your  great  self-command?  Ay,  that 
was  princely!"    He  paused. 

"  It  was  a  thing  to  see.  O!  I  drank  confidence!  I  tried  to  imi- 
tate your  calm.  And  I  was  well  inspii-ed;  in  my  heart,  I  think  that 
I  was  well  inspired;  that  any  man,  within  the  reach  of  argument, 
had  been  convinced!  But  it  was  not  to  be;  nor,  madame,  do  I  re- 
gret the  failure.  Let  us  be  open;  let  me  disclose  my  heart.  I 
have  loved  two  things,  not  unworthily:  Grlinewald  and  my  sover- 
eign!" Here  he  kissed  her  hand.  "Either  I  must  resign  my 
ministry,  leave  the  land  of  my  adoption  and  the  queen  whom  I  had 
chosen  to  obey — or — "     He  paused  again. 


PRIXCE    OTTO.  75 

"  Alas,  Herr  von  Gondremark,  there  is  no  '  or,'  "  said  Seraphina. 
"Nay,  madame,  give  me  time,"  he  replied.  "When  first  I 
saw  you,  you  were  still  young;  not  every  man  would  have  re- 
marked your  powers;  but  I  had  not  been  twice  honored  b}^  j'our 
conversation,  ere  I  had  found  my  mistress.  I  have,  madame,  I 
believe,  some  genius;  and  I  have  much  ambition.  But  the  genius 
is  of  the  serving  kind;  and  to  offer  a  career  to  my  ambition,  I  had 
to  find  one  born  to  rule.  This  is  the  base  and  essence  of  our  union; 
each  had  need  of  the  other;  each  recognized  master  and  servant, 
lever  and  fulcrum,  the  complement  of  his  endowment.  Marriages, 
they  say,  are  made  in  heaven :  how  much  more  these  pure,  labori- 
ous, intellectual  fellowships,  born  to  found  empires!  Nor  is  this 
all.  We  found  each  other  ripe,  filled  with  great  ideas  that  took 
shape  and  clarified  with  every  word.  We  grew  together — ay, 
madame,  in  mind  we  grew  together  like  twin  children.  All  of  mj"- 
life  until  we  met,  was  petty  and  groping;  was  it  not — I  will  flatter 
myself  openly — it  was  the  same  with  you!  Not  till  then  had  you 
those  eagle  surveys,  that  wide  and  hopeful  sweep  of  intuition! 
Thus  we  had  formed  ourselves,  and  we  were  ready." 

"  It  is  true,"  she  cried.  "  I  feel  it.  Yours  is  the  genius;  your 
generosity  confounds  your  insight;  aK  I  could  offer  j'ou  was  the 
position,  was  this  throne,  to  be  a  fulcrum.  But  I  offered  it  without 
reserve;  I  entered  at  least  warmly — into  all  your  thoughts;  you 
were  sure  of  me — sure  of  my  support — certain  of  justice.  Tell  me, 
tell  me  again,  that  I  have  helped  you." 

"'  Nay,  madame,"  he  said,  "  you  made  me.  In  everything  you 
were  my  inspiration.  And  as  we  prepared  our  policy,  weighing 
every  step,  how  often  have  I  had  to  admire  your  perspicacity,  your 
man-like  diligence  and  fortitude!  You  know  that  these  are  not  the 
words  of  flattery;  your  conscience  echoes  them;  have  you  spared  a 
day,  have  you  indulged  yourself  in  any  pleasure?  Young  and  beau- 
tiful, you  have  lived  a  life  of  high  intellectual  effort,  of  irksome  in 
tellectual  patience  with  details.  Well,  you  have  your  reward:  with 
the  fall  of  Brandenau,  the  throne  of  your  empire  is  founded." 

"  What  thought  have  you  in  your  mind?"  she  asked.  "  Is  not 
all  ruined?" 

"  Nay,  my  princess,  the  same  thought  is  in  both  our  minds,"  he 
said. 

"  Herr  von  Gondremark,"  she  replied.  "  by  all  that  I  hold  sacred, 
I  have  none;  I  do  not  think  at  all;  I  am  crushed." 

"You  are  looking  at  the  passionate  side  of  a  rich  nature,  mis- 


76  PRINCE    OTTO. 

understood  and  recently  insulted, "  said  tlie  baron.     ''Look  into 
your  intellect,  and  tell  me." 

"  I  find  nothing,  nothing  but  tumult,"  she  replied. 

"You  find  one  word  branded,  madame,"  returned  the  baron; 
'  Abdication!'  " 

"  Oh!"  she  cried.  "  The  coward!  He  leaves  me  to  bear  all,  and 
in  the  hour  of  trial,  stabs  me  from  behind.  There  is  nothing  in 
him,  not  respect,  not  love,  not  courage — his  wife,  his  dignity,  his 
throne,  the  honor  of  his  father,  he  forgets  them  all!  Incarnate 
milk!  how  I  despise  him!" 

"  Yes, "  pursued  the  baron,  "  the  word  Abdication.  I  perceive 
a  glimmering  there. ' ' 

"  I  read  your  fancy,"  she  returned.  "  It  is  mere  madness,  mid 
summer  madness.  Baron,  I  am  more  unpopular  than  he.  You 
know  it.  They  can  excuse,  they  can  love,  his  weakness;  but  me, 
they  hate." 

"  Such  is  the  gratitude  of  peoples,"  said  the  baron.  "But  we 
trifle.  Here,  madame,  are  my  plain  thoughts.  The  man  who  in 
the  hour  of  danger  speaks  of  abdication  is,  for  me,  a  venomous  ani- 
mal. I  speak  with  the  bluntness  of  gravity,  madame;  this  is  no 
hour  for  mincing.  The  coward,  in  a  station  of  authority,  is  more 
dangerous  than  fire.  "We  dwell  on  a  volcano;  if  this  man  can  have 
his  way,  Grllnewald,  before  a  week,  will  have  been  deluged  with 
innocent  blood.  You  know  the  truth  of  what  I  say;  we  have  looked 
unblenching  into  this  ever-possible  catastrophe.  To  him  it  is  noth- 
ing: he  will  abdicate!  Abdicate,  just  God!  and  this  unhappy  coun- 
try committed  to  his  charge,  and  the  lives  of  men  and  the  honor  of 
women — "  His  voice  appeared  to  fail  him;  in  an  instant,  he  had 
conquered  his  emotion  and  resumed:  "  But  you,  madame,  conceive 
more  worthily  of  your  responsibilities.  I  am  with  you  in  the 
thought;  and  in  the  face  of  the  horrors  that  I  see  impending,  I  say, 
and  your  heart  repeats  it — we  have  gone  too  far  to  pause.  Honor, 
duty,  ay,  and  the  care  of  our  own  lives,  demand  we  should  pro- 
ceed." 

She  was  looking  at  him,  her  brow  thoughtfully  knilted.  "  I  feel 
it,"  she  said.     "  But  how?    He  has  the  power." 

"  The  power,  madame?  The  power  is  in  the  army,"  he  replied; 
and  then  hastily,  ere  she  could  intervene,  "  we  have  to  save  our- 
selves," he  went  on;  "I  have  to  save  my  princess,  she  has  to  save 
her  minister;  we  have  both  of  us  to  save  this  infatuated  youth 
from  his  own  madness.  He,  in  the  outbreak,  would  be  the  earliest 
victim;  I  see  him,"  he  cried,  "  torn  in  pieces;  and  Griinewald,  uu- 


PRINCE    OTTO.  77 

happy  Griinewalcll     Nay,  madame,  you  who  have  the  power  must 
use  it;  it  lies  hard  upon  your  conscieuce." 

"Show  lue  how!'  she  cried.  "Suppose  I  were  to  place  him 
under  some  constraint?  the  revolution  would  break  us  instantly." 

The  baron  feigned  defeat.  "It  is  true,"  he  said.  "You  ree 
more  clearly  than  I  do.  Yet  there  should,  there  must  be  some 
way."     And  he  waited  for  his  chance. 

' '  No, ' '  she  said,  ' '  I  told  you  from  the  first  there  is  no  remedy. 
Our  hopes  are  lost:  lost  by  one  miserable  trifler,  ignorant,  fretful, 
fitful — who  will  have  disappeared  to-morrow,  who  knows?  to  his 
boorish  pleasures!" 

Any  peg  would  do  for  Gondremark.  "  The  thing!"  he  cried, 
striking  his  brow.  "  Fool,  not  lo  have  thought  of  it!  Madame, 
without  perhaps  knowing  it,  j"OU  have  solved  our  problem." 

"  What  do  you  mean?    Speak!"  she  said. 

He  appeared  to  collect  himself;  and  then,  with  a  smile,  "  The 
prince,"  he  said,  "  must  go  once  more  a-hunting." 

"  Ay,  if  he  would!"  cried  she,  "  and  stay  there!" 

"And  stay  there,"  echoed  the  baron.  It  was  so  significantly 
said,  that  her  face  changed;  and  the  schemer,  fearful  of  the  sinister 
ambiguity  of  his  expression,  hastened  to  explain.  "  This  time  he 
shall  go  hunting  in  a  carriage,  with  a  good  escort  of  our  foreign 
lancers.  His  destination  shall  be  the  Felensenburg;  it  is  health}^, 
the  rock  is  high,  the  Avindows  are  small  and  barred;  it  might  have 
been  built  on  purpose.  We  shall  intrust  the  captaincy  to  the 
Scotchman  Gordon;  he  at  least  will  have  no  scruple.  Who  will 
miss  the  sovereign?  He  is  gone  hunting;  he  came  home  on  Tues- 
day, on  Thursday  he  returned;  all  is  usual  in  that.  Meanwhile, 
the  war  proceeds;  our  prince  will  soon  weary  of  his  solitude;  and 
about  the  time  of  our  triumph  or,  if  he  prove  very  obstinate,  a  lit- 
tle later,  he  shall  be  released  upon  a  proper  understanding,  and  I 
see  him  once  more  directing  his  theatricals," 

Seraphina  sat  gloomy,  plunged  in  thought.  "Yes,"  she  said 
suddenly,  "  and  the  dispatch?    He  is  now  writing  it." 

"  It  can  not  pass  the  council  before  Friday,"  replied  Gondre- 
mark; "  and  as  for  any  private  note,  the  messengers  are  all  at  my 
disposal.     Picked  men,  madame.     I  am  a  person  of  precaution." 

' '  It  would  appear  so, ' '  she  said,  with  a  flash  of  her  occasional 
repugnance  to  the  man;  and  then  after  a  pause,  "  Herr  von  Gondre- 
mark," she  added,  "  I  recoil  from  this  extremity." 

"I  share  your  highness's  repugnance,"  answered  he.  "But 
what  would  you  have?    We  are  defen.seless,  else." 


78  PEINCE    OTTO. 

"I  see  it.  But  this  is  sudden.  It  is  a  public  crime,"  she  said, 
nodding  at  hirr  with  a  sort  of  horror. 

"  Looi:  but  a  little  deeper,"  he  returned,  "and  "whose  is  tha 
crime?" 

"  His!"  she  cried.  ''  His,  before  God!  And  I  hold  him  liable. 
But  still—" 

"  It  is  not  as  if  he  would  be  harmed,"  submitted  Gondremark. 

"  I  know  it,"  she  replied,  but  it  was  still  unheartily. 

And  then,  as  brave  men  are  entitled,  by  prescriptive  right  as 
old  as  the  world's  history,  to  the  alliance  and  the  active  help  of 
Fortune,  the  punctual  goddess  8tei)ped  from  the  machine.  One  of 
the  princess's  ladies  begged  to  enter;  a  man,  it  appeared,  had 
brought  a  line  for  the  Freiherr  von  Gondremark.  It  proved  to  be 
a  pencil  billet,  which  the  crafty  Greisengesang  had  found  the  means 
to  scribble  and  dispatch  imder  the  very  guns  of  Otto;  and  the  dar- 
ing of  the  act  bore  testimony  to  the  terror  of  the  action.  For  Greisen- 
gesang had  but  one  influential  motive :  fear.     The  note  ran  thus: 

"  At  the  first  council,  procuration  to  be  withdrawn.  Corn. 
Greis." 

So,  after  three  years  of  exercise,  the  right  of  signature  was  to 
be  stripped  from  Seraphina.  It  was  more  than  an  insult;  it  was  a 
public  disgrace;  and  she  did  not  pause  to  consider  how  she  had 
earned  it,  but  morally  boimded  under  the  attack  as  bounds  the 
woimded  tiger. 

"Enough,"  .she  said;  "  I  will  .sign  the  order.  When  shall  he 
leave?" 

' '  It  will  take  me  twelve  hours  to  collect  my  men,  and  it  had  best 
be  done  at  night.  To-morrow  midnight,  if  j'ou  please?"  answered 
the  baron. 

"  Excellent,"  .she  said.  "  My  door  is  always  open  to  you,  baron. 
As  soon  as  the  order  is  prepared,  bring  it  me  to  sign." 

' '  Madame, ' '  he  said,  ' '  alone  of  all  of  us  you  do  not  risk  your 
head  in  this  adventure.  For  that  reason,  and  to  prevent  all  hesita- 
tion, I  venture  to  propose  the  order  should  be  in  your  hand  through- 
out." 

"  Tou  are  right,"  she  replied. 

He  laid  a  form  before  her,  and  she  wrote  the  order  in  a  clear 
hand,  and  reread  it.  Suddenly  a  cruel  smile  came  on  her  face.  "  I 
had  forgotten  his  puppet,"  said  she.  "  They  will  keep  each  other 
company."  And  she  interlined  and  initialed  the  condemnation  of 
Doctor  Gotthold. 

"  Your  highness  has  more  memory  than  her  servant,"  said  the 


PRINCE    OTTO.  79 

-baron;  and  then  he,  in  Lis  turn,  carefully  perused  the  fateful 
paper.     ' '  Good, ' '  said  he. 

"  You  will  appear  in  the  drawing-room,  baron?"  she  asked. 

"I  thought  it  better,"  said  he,  "to  avoid  the  possibility  of  a 
public  affront .  Anything  that  shook  my  credit  might  hamper  us 
in  the  immediate  future. ' ' 

"You  are  right,"  she  said;  and  she  held  out  her  hand  as  to  an 
old  friend  and  equal. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    PRICE   OP     THE    RIVER    FARM;     IN  WHICH    VAINGLORY  GOES 
BEFORE   A   FALL. 

The  pistol  had  been  practically  fired.  Under  ordinary  circum- 
stances the  scene  at  the  council  table  would  have  entirely  exhausted 
Otto's  store  both  of  energy  and  auger;  he  would  have  begun  to  ex- 
amine and  condemn  his  conduct,  have  remembered  all  that  was 
true,  forgotten  all  that  was  unjust  in  Seraphina's  onslaught; 
and  by  half  an  hour  after,  -nould  have  fallen  into  that  state 
of  mind  in  which  a  Catholic  flees  to  the  confessional  and  a 
sot  takes  refuge  in  the  bottle.  Two  matters  of  detail  pre- 
served his  spirits.  For,  first,  he  had  still  an  infinity  of  business 
to  transact;  and  to  transact  business,  for  a  man  of  Otto's  neglectful 
and  procrastinating  habits,  is  the  best  anodyne  for  conscience.  All 
the  afternoon  he  was  hard  at  it  with  the  chancellor,  reading,  dictat- 
ing, signing  and  dispatching  papers;  and  this  kept  him  in  a  glow  of 
self-approval.  But,  secondlj^,  his  vanity  was  still  alarmed;  he  had 
failed  to  get  the  money;  to-morrow  before  noon  he  would  have  to 
disappoint  old  Killian;  and  in  the  eyes  of  that  family  which  counted 
him  so  little,  and  to  which  he  had  sought  to  play  the  part  of  the 
heroic  comforter,  he  must  sink  lower  than  at  first.  To  a  man  of 
Otto's  temper,  this  was  death.  He  could  not  accept  the  situation. 
And  even  as  he  worked,  and  worked  wisely  and  well,  over  the 
hated  details  of  his  principality,  he  was  secretly  maturing  a  plan  by 
which  to  turn  the  situation.  It  was  a  scheme,  as  pleasing  to  the 
man  as  it  was  dishonorable  in  the  pi'ince;  in  which  his  frivolous 
nature  found  and  took  vengeance  for  the  gravity  and  burden  of  the 
afternoon.  He  chuckled  as  he  thoughtrof  it;  and  Greisengesang 
heard  him  with  wonder,  and  attributed  his  lively  spirits  to  the  skir- 
mish of  the  morning. 

Led  by  this  idea,  the  antique  courtier  ventured  to  compliment  his 
sovereign  on  his  bearing.  It  reminded  him,  he  said,  of  Otto's  father. 


80  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  What?"    asked  the  prince,  whose  thoughts  were  miles  away. 

"  Tour  highness's  authority  at  the  board,"  explained  the  flat- 
terer. 

'•  Oh,  that!  Oh  yes,"  returned  Otto;  but  for  all  his  carelessness, 
his  vanity  was  delicately  tickled,  and  his  mind  returned  and 
dwelled  approvingly  over  the  details  of  his  victory.  "  I  quelled 
them  all,"  he  thought. 

When  the  more  pressing  matters  had  been  dismissed,  it  was  al- 
ready late,  and  Otto  kept  the  chancellor  to  dinner,  and  was  enter- 
tained with  a  leash  of  ancient  histories  and  modern  compliments. 
The  chancellor's  career  had  been  based,  from  the  first  off -put,  on 
entire  subserviency;  he  had  crawled  into  honors  and  employments; 
and  his  mind  was  prostitute.  The  instinct  of  the  creature  served 
him  well  with  Otto.  First,  he  let  fall  a  sneering  word  or  two  upon 
the  female  intellect;  thence  he  proceeded  to  a  closer  engagement; 
and  before  the  third  course  he  was  artfully  dissecting  Seraphina's 
character  to  her  approving  husband.  Of  course  no  names  were 
used;  and  of  course  the  identity  of  that  abstract  or  ideal  man,  with 
whom  she  was  currently  contrasted,  remained  an  open  secret.  But 
this  stiff  old  gentleman  had  a  wonderful  instinct  for  evil,  thus  to 
wind  his  way  into  man's  citadel;  thus  to  harp  by  the  hour  on  the 
virtues  of  his  hearer  and  not  once  alarm  his  self-respect.  Otto  was 
all  roseate,  in  and  out,  with  flattery  and  Tokay  and  an  approving 
conscience.  He  saw  himself  in  the  most  attractive  colors.  If  even 
Greisengesang,  he  thought,  could  thus  espy  the  loose  stitches  in 
Seraphina's  character,  and  thus  disloyally  impart  them  to  the  oppo- 
site camp,  he,  the  discarded  husband — the  dis2)ossessed  prince — 
could  scarce  have  erred  on  the  side  of  severity. 

In  this  excellent  frame  he  bade  adieu  to  the  old  gentleman,  whose 
voice  had  proved  so  musical,  and  set  forth  for  the  drawing-room. 
Already  in  the  stair,  he  was  seized  with  some  compunction;  h\\ 
when  he  entered  the  great  gallery  and  beheld  his  wife,  the  chancel- 
lor's abstract  flatteries  fell  from  him  like  rain,  and  he  reawoke  to 
the  poetic  facts  of  life.  She  stood  a  good  way  off  below  a  shining 
luster,  her  back  turned.  The  bend  of  her  waist  overcame  him  with 
a  physical  weakness.  This  was  the  girl-wife  who  had  lain  in  his 
arms  and  whom  he  had  sworn  to  cherish;  there  was  she,  who  was 
better  than  success. 

It  was  Seraphina  who  restored  him  from  the  blow.  She  swam 
forward  and  smiled  upon  her  husband  witli  a  sweetness  that  waa 
insultingly  artificial.     "  Frederic,"  she  lisped,  ''  you  are  late. "    It 


PRINCE    OTTO.  81 

was  a  scene  of  high  comedy,  such  as  is  proper  to  unhappy  mar- 
riages; and  her  aplomb  disgusted  him. 

There  was  no  etiquette  at  these  small  drawing-rooms.  People 
came  and  went  at  pleasure.  The  window  embrasures  became  the 
roost  of  happy  couples;  at  the  great  chimnej',  the  talkers  most!}' 
congregated,  each  full-charged  with  scandal;  and  down  at  the 
further  end  the  gamblers  gambled.  It  was  toward  this  point  that 
Otto  moved,  not  ostentatiously,  but  with  a  gentle  insistance,  and 
scattering  attentions  as  he  went.  Once  abreast  of  the  card-table, 
he  placed  himself  opposite  to  Madame  von  Rosen,  and  as  soon  as 
he  had  caught  her  eye,  withdrew  to  the  embrasure  of  a  window. 
There  she  had  speedily  joined  him. 

"You  did  well  to  call  me,"  she  said,  a  little  wildly.  "These 
cards  will  be  my  ruin." 

"  Leave  them,"  said  Otto. 

"I!"  she  cried,  and  laughed,  "they  are  my  destiny.  My  only 
chance  was  to  die  of  a  consumption;  now  I  must  die  in  a  garret." 

"  You  are  bitter  to-night,"  said  Otto. 

"I  have  been  losing,"  she  replied.  "You  do  not  know  what 
greed  is." 

"  I  have  come,  then,  in  an  evil  hour,"  said  he. 

"  Ah,  you  wish  a  favor!"  she  cried,  brightening  beautifully. 

"Madame,"  said  he,  "I  am  about  to  found  my  party,  and  I 
come  to  you  for  a  recruit." 

"  Done,"  said  the  countess.     "  I  am  a  man  again." 

"I  may  be  wrong,"  continued  Otto,  "but  I  believe  upon  my 
heart  you  wish  me  no  ill." 

"  I  wish  you  so  well,"  she  said,  "  that  I  dare  not  tell  it  you." 

"  Then  if  I  ask  my  favor?"  quoth  the  prince. 

"Ask  it,  mon  prince,"  she  answered;  "whatever  it  is,  it  is 
granted." 

"  I  wish  you,"  he  returned,  "  this  very  night  to  make  the  farmer 
your  talk." 

"Heaven  knows  your  meaning!"  she  exclaimed.  "  I  know  not, 
neither  care;  there  are  no  bounds  to  my  desire  to  please  you.  Call 
him  made  " 

"  I  will  put  it  in  another  way,"  returned  Otto.  "  Did  you  ever 
steal?" 

"  Often!"  cried  the  countess.  "  I  have  broken  all  the  ten  com- 
mandments; and  if  there  were  more  to-morrow  I  should  not  sleep 
till  I  had  broken  these." 


82  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"This  is  a  case  of  burglary:  to  say  truth,  I  thought  it  would 
amuse  you,"  said  the  prince. 

"  I  have  no  practical  experience,"  she  replied,  "  but  O!  the  good- 
will! I  have  broken  a  work-box  in  my  time,  and  several  hearts,  my 
own  included.  Never  a  house!  But  it  can  not  be  difficult;  sins 
are  so  unromantically  easy!     What  are  we  to  break?" 

"Madame,  we  are  to  break  the  treasury,"  said  Otto;  and  he 
sketched  to  her  briefly,  wittily,  with  here  and  there  a  touch  of  pa- 
thos, the  story  of  his  visit  to  the  farm,  of  his  promise  to  buy  it,  and 
of  the  refusal  with  which  his  demand  for  money  had  been  met  that 
morning  at  the  council;  concluding  with  a  few  practical  words  as 
to  the  treasury  windows,  and  the  helps  and  hinderances  of  the  pro- 
posed exploit. 

"They  refused  you  the  money,"  she  said,  when  he  had  done. 
"  And  you  accepted  the  refusal?    Well!" 

"  They  gave  their  reasons,"  replied  Otto,  coloring,  "  They  were 
not  such  as  I  could  combat;  and  I  am  driven  to  dilapidate  the 
funds  of  my  own  country  by  a  theft.  It  is  not  dignified;  but  it  is 
fun." 

"Fun,"  she  said,  "yes."  And  then  she  remained  silently 
plunged  in  thought  for  an  appreciable  time.  "  How  much  do  you 
require?"  she  asked  at  length. 

"Three  thousand  crowns  will  do, "  he  answered,  "for  I  have 
still  some  money  of  my  own." 

"  Excellent, "  she  said,  regaining  her  levity.  "I  am  your  true 
accomplice.     And  where  are  we  to  meet?" 

"  You  know  the  Flying  Mercury,"  he  answered,  "  in  the  park? 
Three  pathways  intersect;  there  they  have  made  a  seat  and  raised 
the  statue.     The  spot  is  handy,  and  the  deity  congenial." 

"  Child,"  she  said,  and  tapped  him  with  her  fan.  "  But  do  you 
know,  my  prince,  j^ou  are  an  egoist — your  handy  trysting-place  is 
miles  from  me.  You  must  give  me  ample  time;  I  can  not,  I 
think,  possibly  be  there  before  two.  But  as  the  bell  beats  two,  your 
helper  shall  arrive:  welcome,  I  trust.  Stay — do  you  bring  any 
one?"  she  added.  "  Oh,  it  is  not  for  a  chaperon — I  am  not  a 
prude!" 

"  I  shall  bring  a  groom  of  mine,"  said  Otto.  "  I  caught  him 
stealing  corn." 

"  His  name?"  she  asked. 

"  I  profess  I  know  not.  I  am  not  yet  intimate  with  my  corn 
stealer,"  returned  the  prince.  "It  was  in  a  professional  capac- 
ity-" 


PRINCE    OTTO.  83 

"Like  me!  Flatterer!"  she  cried.  "But  oblige  me  in  one 
thing.  Let  me  find  you  waiting  at  the  seat — yes,  you  shall  await 
me;  for  on  this  expedition  it  shall  be  no  longer  prince  and  countess, 
it  shall  be  the  lady  and  the  squire — and  your  friend  the  thief  shall 
be  no  nearer  than  the  fountain.     Do  you  promise?" 

"  Madame,  in  everything  you  are  to  command;  you  shall  be  cap- 
tain, I  am  tut  supercargo,"  answered  Otto. 

"  Well,  Heaven  bring  all  safe  to  port!"  she  said.  "It  is  not 
Friday!" 

Something  in  her  manner  had  puzzled  Otto,  had  possibly  touched 
him  with  suspicion.  "  Ls  it  not  strange,"  he  remarked,  "that  I 
should  choose  my  accomplice  from  the  other  camp?" 

"  Fool!"  she  said.  "  But  it  is  your  only  wisdom  that  you  know 
your  friends."  And  suddenly,  in  the  vantage  of  the  deep  window, 
she  caught  up  his  hand  and  kissed  it  with  a  sort  of  passion.  "  Now 
go,"  she  added,  "go  at  once." 

He  went,  somewhat  staggered,  doubting  in  his  heart  that  he  was 
overbold.  For  in  that  moment  she  had  flashed  upon  him  like  a 
jewel;  and  even  through  the  strong  panoply  of  a  previous  love  he 
had  been  conscious  of  a  shock.  Next  moment  he  had  dismissed 
the  fear. 

Both  Otto  and  the  countess  retired  early  from  the  drawing- 
room;  and  the  prince,  after  an  elaborate  feint,  dismissed  his  valet 
and  went  forth  by  the  private  passage  and  the  back  postern  in  quest 
of  the  groom. 

Once  more  the  stable  was  in  darkness,  once  more  Otto  employed 
the  talismanic  knock,  and  once  more  the  groom  appeared  and 
sickened  with  terror.  "  Good-evening,  friend,"  said  Otto,  pleas- 
antly. ' '  I  want  you  to  bring  a  corn  sack — empty  this  time — and  to 
accompany  me.     We  shall  be  gone  all  night. ' ' 

"  Your  highness,"  groaned  the  man,  "  I  have  the  charge  of  the 
small  stables.     I  am  here  alone. ' ' 

"  Come,"  said  the  prince,  "  you  are  no  such  martinet  in  duty." 
And  then  seeing  that  the  man  was  shaking  from  head  to  foot,  Otto 
laid  a  hand  upon  his  shoulder.  "  If  I  meant  you  harm,"  he  said, 
"  should  I  be  here?" 

The  fellow  became  instantly  reassured.  He  got  the  sack;  and 
Otto  led  him  round  by  several  paths  and  avenues,  conversing 
pleasantly  by  the  way,  and  left  him  at  last  planted  by  a  certain 
fountain  where  a  goggle-eyed  Triton  spouted  intermittentlj^  into  a 
rippling  laver     Thence  he  proceeded  alone  to  where,  in  a  round 


84  PRINCE    OTTO. 

clearing,  a  copy  of  Gian  Bologna's  Mercury  stood  tiptoe  in  the  twi- 
light of  the  stars.  The  night  was  warm  and  windless.  A  shaving 
of  new  moon  had  lately  arisen;  but  it  was  still  too  small  and  too 
low  down  in  heaven  to  contend  with  the  immense  host  of  lesser 
luminaries;  and  the  rough  face  of  the  earth  was  drenched  with 
starlight.  Down  one  of  the  alleys,  which  widened  as  it  receded, 
he  could  see  a  part  of  the  lamplit  terrace  where  a  sentry  silently 
paced,  and  beyond  that  a  corner  of  the  town  with  interlacing 
street-lights.  But  all  around  him  the  young  trees  stood  mystically 
blurred  in  the  dim  shine;  and  in  the  stock-still  quietness  the  up- 
leaping  god  appeared  alive. 

In  the  dimness  and  silence  of  the  night.  Otto's  conscience  became 
suddenly  and  staringly  luminous  like  the  dial  of  a  city  clock.  He 
averted  the  eyes  of  his  mind,  but  the  finger,  rapidly  traveling, 
pointed  to  a  series  of  misdeeds  that  took  his  breath  away.  What 
was  he  doing  in  that  place?  The  money  had  been  wrongly  squan- 
dered, but  that  was  largely  by  his  ow^n  neglect.  And  he  now  pro- 
posed to  embarrass  the  finances  of  this  country  which  he  had  been 
too  idle  to  govern.  And  he  now  proposed  to  squander  the  money 
once  again,  and  this  time  for  a  private,  if  a  generous  end.  And  the 
man  whom  he  had  reproved  for  stealing  corn,  he  was  now  to  set 
stealing  treasure.  And  then  there  was  Madame  von  Rosen,  upon 
whom  he  looked  down  with  some  of  that  ill-favored  contempt  of 
the  chaste  male  for  the  imperfect  woman.  Because  he  thought  of 
her  as  one  degraded  below  scruples,  he  had  picked  her  out  to  be 
still  more  degraded  and  to  risk  her  whole  irregular  establishment 
in  life,  by  complicity  in  this  dishonorable  act.  It  was  uglier  than  a 
seduction. 

Otto  had  to  walk  very  briskly  and  whistle  very  busily;  and  when 
at  last  he  heard  steps  in  the  narrowest  and  darkest  of  the  alleys,  it 
■was  with  a  gush  of  relief  that  he  sprung  to  meet  the  countess.  The 
wrestle  alone  with  one's  good  angel  is  so  hard!  and  so  precious,  at 
the  proper  time,  is  a  companion  certain  to  be  less  virtuous  than 
one's  self! 

It  was  a  young  man  who  came  toward  him;  a  young  man  of 
small  stature  and  a  peculiar  gait,  wearing  a  wide,  flapping  hat  and 
carrying,  with  great  jveariness,  a  heavy  bag.  Otto  recoiled;  but 
the  young  man  held  up  his  hand  by  way  of  signal,  and  coming  up 
with  a  panting  run,  as  if  with  the  last  of  his  endurance,  laid  the  bag 
upon  the  ground,  threw  himself  upon  the  bench  and  disclosed  the 
features  of  Madame  von  Rosen. 

"You,  countess!"  cried  the  prince, 


PKIKCE    OTTO.  85 

"No,  no,"  she  panted,  "the  Count  von  Rosen— my  young 
brother.     A  capital  fellow.     Let  him  get  his  breath. " 

"  Well,  and  why  has  he  a  bag?"  he  asked. 

"  Sit  down  beside  me  here,"  sho  said,  patting  the  further  corner 
of  the  bench.  "  I  will  tell  you  in  a  moment.  Oh,  I  am  so  tired — 
feel  how  my  heart  leaps!    Where  is  your  thief?" 

"At  his  post,"  replied  Otto.  "Shall  I  introduce  him?  He 
seems  an  excellent  companion." 

"  No,"  she  said,  "  do  not  hurry  me  yet.  I  must  speak  to  3'ou. 
Not  but  I  adore  your  thief;  I  adore  any  one  who  has  the  spirit  to 
do  wrong.  I  never  cared  for  virtue  till  I  fell  in  love  with  my 
prince."  She  laughed  musically.  "  And  even  so,  it  is  not  for  your 
virtues,"  she  added  with  a  nod. 

Otto  was  embarrassed.  "  But  you  have  not  yet  told  me.  What 
is  in  the  bag?"  he  asked. 

"Presently,  presently.  Let  me  breathe,"  she  said,  panting  a 
little  harder  than  before. 

"Well,'  he  returned,  "I  shall  see  for  myself."  And  he  put 
down  his  hand. 

She  stopped  him  at  once.  "  Otto,"  she  said^  "  no — not  that  way. 
I  will  tell,  I  will  make  a  clean  breast.  It  is  done  already.  I  have 
robbed  the  treasury  single-handed.  There  are  three  thousand,  two 
hundred  crowns.     O;  I  trust  it  is  enough!" 

Her  embarrassment  was  so  obvious  that  the  prince  was  struck 
into  a  muse,  gazing  in  her  face,  with  his  hand  still  outstretched, 
and  she  still  holding  him  by  the  wrist.  "  You!"  he  said,  at  last. 
"  How?"  And  then  drawing  himself  \ip,  "  O  madame,"  he  cried, 
"  I  understand.     You  must  indeed  think  meanly  of  the  prince." 

"  Well  then,  it  was  a  lie!"  she  cried.  "  The  money  is  mine,  hon- 
estly my  own — not  yours.  This  was  an  unworthy  act  that  you 
proposed.  But  I  love  your  honor,  and  I  swoie  to  m.yself  that  I 
should  save  it  in  j^our  teeth.  I  beg  of  you  to  let  me  save  it  " — 
with  a  sudden,  lovel}^  change  of  tone.  "Otto,  I  beseech  you  let 
me  save  it.    Take  this  dross  from  your  poor  friend  who  loves  you!" 

"  Madame,  madame,"  babbled  Otto,  in  the  extreme  of  misery,"  I 
can  not — I  must  go." 

And  he  half  rose;  but  she  was  on  the  ground  before  him  in  an 
instant,  clasping  his  knees.  "No,"  she  gasped,  "you  shall  not 
go.  Do  3^ou  despise  me  so  entirely?  It  is  dross;  I  hate  it;  I 
should  squander  it  at  play  and  be  no  richer;  it  is  an  investment;  it 
is  to  save  me  from  ruin.  Otto,"  she  cried,  as  he  again  feebly  tried 
to  put  her  from  him,  "  if  you  leave  me  alone  in  this  disgrace,  I. 


SQ  PRIXCE    OTTO. 

will  die  here!"  He  groaned  aloud.  "  O,"  she  said,  "  think  what 
I  suffer!  If  you  suffer  from  a  piece  of  delicacy,  think  what  I 
suffer  in  my  shame!  To  have  my  trash  refused!  You  would  rather 
steal,  you  think  of  me  so  basely!  You  would  rather  tread  my  heart 
in  pieces!  O,  unkind!  O  my  prince!  O  Otto!  O  pity  me!"  She 
was  still  clasping  him;  then  she  found  his  hand  and  covered  it  with 
kisses,  and  at  this  his  head  began  to  turn.  "  O,"  she  cried  again, 
"  I  see  it!  O  what  a  horror!  It  is  because  I  am  old,  because  I  am 
no  longer  beautiful. ' '     And  she  burst  into  a  storm  of  sobs. 

This  was  the  coup  cle  (jrdcc.  Otto  had  now  to  comfort  and  com- 
pose her  as  he  could,  and  before  many  words,  the  money  was  ac- 
cepted. Between  the  woman  and  the  weak  man,  such  was  the  in- 
evitable end.  Madame  von  Rosen  instantly  composed  her  sobs. 
She  thanked  him  with  a  fluttering  voice,  and  resumed  her  place 
upon  the  bench  at  the  far  end  from  Otto.  "Now  you  see,  "she 
said,  "  why  I  bid  you  keep  the  thief  at  distance,  and  why  I  came 
alone.  How  I  trembled  for  my  treasure!  But  I  was  armed,  I  had 
my  pistols.     You  see  I  could  have  kept  my  threat." 

"Madame,"  said  Otto,  with  a  tearful  whimper  in  his  voice, 
"  spare  me!    You  are  too  good,  too  noble!" 

' '  I  wonder  to  hear  you, ' '  she  returned.  ' '  You  have  avoided  a 
great  folly.  You  will  be  able  to  meet  your  good  old  peasant.  You 
have  found  an  excellent  investment  for  a  friend's  money.  You 
have  preferred  essential  kindness  to  an  empty  scruple;  and  now 
you  are  ashamed  of  it!  You  have  made  your  friend  happy;  and 
now  you  mourn  as  the  dove!  Come,  cheer  up.  I  know  it  is  de- 
pressing to  have  done  exactly  right;  but  you  need  not  make  a 
practice  of  it.  Forgive  yourself  this  virtue;  come  now,  look  me 
in  the  face  and  smile!" 

He  did  not  look  at  her.  When  a  man  has  been  embraced  by  a 
woman,  he  sees  her  in  a  glamour;  and  at  such  a  time,  in  the  baflling 
glimmer  of  the  stars,  she  will  look  wildly  well.  The  hair  is 
touched  with  light;  the  eyes  are  constellations;  the  face  sketched 
in  shadows — a  sketch,  you  might  say,  by  passion.  Otto  became 
consoled  for  his  defeat;  he  began  to  take  an  interest.  "No,"  he 
said,  "  I  am  no  ingi-ate." 

"  You  promised  me  fun,"  she  returned,  with  a  laugh.  "  I  have 
given  you  as  good.     We  have  had  a  stormy  scena. " 

He  laughed  in  his  turn,  and  the  sound  of  the  laughter,  in  either 
case,  was  hardly  reassuring. 

"  Come,  what  are  yon  going  to  give  me  in  exchange,"  she  con- 
tinued, "  for  my  excellent  declamation?' 


PRINCE    OTTO.  87 

"  What  you  will,"  he  said. 

"Whatever  I  will?  Upon  your  honor?  Suppose  I  asked  the 
crown?"     She  was  flashing  upon  him,  beautiful  in  triumph. 

"  Upon  my  honor,"  he  replied. 

"  Shall  I  ask  the  crown?"  she  continued.  "  Nay;  what  should 
I  do  with  it?  Grlinewald  is  but  a  petty  state;  my  ambition  swells 
above  it.  I  shall  ask — I  find  I  want  nothing,"  she  concluded.  "  I 
will  give  you  something  instead.  1  will  give  you  leave  to  kiss  me 
— once. ' ' 

Otto  drew  near,  and  she  put  up  her  face;  they  were  both  smiling, 
both  on  the  brink  of  laughter,  all  was  so  innocent  and  playful;  and 
the  prince,  when  their  lips  encountered,  was  dumfounded  by  the 
sudden  convulsion  of  his  being.  Both  drew  instantly  apart,  and  for 
an  appreciable  time  sat  tongue-tied.  Otto  was  indistinctly  conscious 
of  a  peril  in  the  silence,  but  could  find  no  words  to  utter.  Sud- 
denly the  countess  seemed  to  awake.  "As  for  your  wife — "  she 
began  in  a  clear  and  steady  voice. 

The  word  recalled  Otto,  with  a  shudder,  from  his  trance.  "  I 
will  hear  nothing  against  my  wife,"  he  cried  wildly;  and  then,  re- 
covering himself  and  in  a  kindlier  tone,  "  I  will  tell  you  my  one  se- 
cret," he  added.     "  I  love  my  wife." 

"  You  should  have  let  me  finish,"  she  returned,  smiling.  "Do 
you  suppose  I  did  not  mention  her  on  purpose?  You  know  you 
had  lost  your  head.  Well,  so  had  I.  Come  now,  do  not  be  abashed 
by  words,"  she  added,  somewhat  sharply.  "It  is  the  one  thing  I 
despise.  If  you  are  not  a  fool,  you  will  see  that  I  am  building  fort- 
resses about  your  virtue.  And  at  any  rate,  I  choose  that  you  shall 
understand  that  I  am  not  dying  of  love  for  you.  It  is  a  very  smil- 
ing business;  no  tragedy  for  me!  And  now  here  is  what  i  have  to 
say  about  your  wife.  She  is  not  and  she  never  has  been  Gondre- 
mark's  mistress.  Be  sure  he  would  have  boasted  if  she  had.  Good- 
night!" 

And  in  a  moment  she  was  gone  down  the  alley,  and  Otto  was 
alone  with  the  bag  of  money  and  the  flying  god. 


CHAPTER  X. 

gotthold's  revised  opinion;  and  the  fall  completed. 

The  countess  left  poor  Otto  with  a  caress  and  buffet  simultane- 
ously administered.  The  welcome  word  about  his  wife  and  the 
virtuous  ending  of  his  interview,  should  doubtless  have  delighted 


88  PRINCE    OTTO. 

him.  But  for  all  that,  as  he  shouldered  the  bag  of  money  and  set 
forward  to  rejoin  his  groom,  he  was  conscious  of  many  aching  sen- 
sibilities. To  have  gone  wrong  and  to  have  been  set  right,  make? 
but  a  double  trial  for  man's  vanity.  The  discovery  of  his  owd 
weakness  and  possible  unfaith  had  staggered  him  to  the  heart;  anc 
to  hear  in  the  same  hour  of  his  wife's  fidelity,  from  one  who  loved 
her  not,  increased  the  bitterness  of  the  surprise. 

He  was  about  half-way  between  the  fountain  and  the  Flying  Mer- 
ciuy,  before  his  thoughts  began  to  be  clear;  and  he  was  surprised 
to  find  them  angry.  He  paused  in  a  kind  of  temper,  and  struck 
with  his  hand  a  little  shrub.  Thence  there  arose  instantly  a  cloud 
of  awakened  sparrows,  which  as  instantly  dispersed  and  disap- 
peared into  the  thicket.  He  looked  at  them  stupidly,  and  when 
they  were  gone  continued  staring  at  the  stars.  "  I  am  angry.  By 
what  right?  By  none!"  he  thought;  but  he  was  still  angry.  He 
cursed  Madame  von  Rosen  and  instantly  repented.  Heavy  was 
the  money  on  his  shoulders. 

When  he  reached  the  fountain,  he  did,  out  of  ill-humor  and  par- 
ade, an  unpardonable  act.  He  gave  the  money  bodily  to  the  dis- 
honest groom.  "  Keep  this  for  me,"  he  said,  "  until  I  call  for  it  to- 
morrow. It  is  a  great  sum,  and  by  that  you  will  judge  that  I  have 
not  condemned  you."  And  he  strode  away  ruffling,  as  if  he  had 
done  something  generous.  ■  It  was  a  desperate  stroke  to  re-enter  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet  into  his  self-esteem;  and,  like  all  such,  it 
was  fruitless  in  the  end.  He  got  to  bed  with  the  devil,  it  appeared; 
kicked  and  tumbled  till  the  gray  of  the  morning;  and  then  fell 
inopportunely  into  a  leaden  slumber,  and  awoke  to  find  it  ten.  To 
miss  the  appointment  with  old  Killian  after  all,  had  been  too  tragic 
a  miscarriage;  and  he  hurried  with  all  his  might,  found  the  groom 
(for  a  wonder)  faithful  to  his  trust,  and  arrived  only  a  few  minutes 
before  noon  in  the  guest  chamber  of  the  Morning  Star.  Killian  was 
there  in  his  Sunday's  best  and  looking  very  gaunt  and  rigid;  a 
lawyer  from  Brandenau  stood  sentinel  over  his  outspread  papers; 
and  the  groom  and  the  landlord  of  the  inn  were  called  to  serve  as 
witnesses.  The  obvious  deference  of  that  great  man,  the  inn- keeper, 
plainly  affected  the  old  faimer  with  surprise;  but  it  was  not  until 
Otto  had  taken  the  pen  and  signed  that  the  truth  flashed  upon  him 
fully.     Then,  indeed,  he  was  beside  himself. 

"His  highness!"  he  cried,  "his  highness!"  and  repeated  the 
exclamation  till  his  mind  had  grappled  fairly  "uith  the  facts.  Then 
he  turned  to  the  witnesses.  "  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  you  dwell  in 
a  country  highly  favored  by  God;  for  of  all  generous  gentlemen,  I 


PRIXCE    OTTO.  89 

will  say  it  on  my  consc'ence,  this  one  is  the  king.  I  am  an  old 
man,  and  I  have  seen  good  and  bad,  and  the  year  of  the  great  fam- 
ine; but  a  more  excellent  gentleman,  no,  never." 

"We  know  that,"  cried  the  landlord,  "we  know  that  well  in 
Grilnewald.  If  we  saw  more  of  his  highness  we  should  be  the  bet- 
ter pleased." 

"  It  is  the  kindest  prince,"  began  the  groom,  and  suddenly  closed 
his  mouth  upon  a  sob,  so  that  every  one  turned  to  gaze  upon  his 
emotion.  Otto  not  last;  Otto  .struck  with  remorse,  to  see  the  man 
so  grateful. 

Then  it  was  the  lawyer's  turn  to  pay  a  compliment.  "I  do  not 
know  what  Providence  may  hold  in  store,"  he  said,  "  but  this  day 
should  be  a  bright  one  in  the  annals  of  your  reign.  The  shouts  of 
armies  could  not  be  more  eloquent  than  the  emotion  on  these  hon- 
est faces."  And  the  Brandenau  lawyer  bowed,  skipped,  stepped 
back  and  took  snuff,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  has  found  and 
seized  an  opportunity. 

"  Well,  young  gentleman,"  said  Killian,  "  if  you  will  pardon  me 
the  plainness  of  calling  you  a  gentleman,  many  a  good  day's  work 
you  have  done,  I  doubt  not,  but  never  a  better  or  one  that  will  be 
better  blessed;  and  whatever,  sir,  may  be  your  happiness  and  tri 
umph  in  that  high  sphere  to  which  you  have  been  called,  it  will  be 
none  the  worse,  sir,  for  an  old  man's  blessing!" 

The  scene  had  almost  assumed  the  proportions  of  an  ovation;  and 
when  the  prince  escaped  he  had  but  one  thought;  to  go  wherever 
he  was  most  sure  of  praise.  His  conduct  at  the  board  of  council 
occurred  to  him  as  a  fair  chapter;  and  this  evoked  the  memory  of 
Gotthold.     To  Gotthold  he  would  go. 

Gotthold  was  in  the  library  as  usual,  and  laid  down  his  pen,  a 
little  angrily,  on  Otto's  entrance.  "Well,"  he  said,  "here  you 
are." 

"  Well,"  returned  Otto,  "  we  made  a  revolution,  I  believe." 

"  It  is  what  I  fear,"  returned  the  doctor. 

"  How?"  said  Otto.  "  Fear?  Fear  is  the  burned  child.  I  have 
learned  my  strength  and  the  weakness  of  the  others;  and  I  now 
mean  to  govern." 

Gotthold  said  nothing,  but  he  looked  down  and  smoothed  hij 
chin. 

"  You  disapprove?"  cried  Otto.     "  You  are  a  weathercock." 
"On  the  contrary,"  replied  the  doctor.     "My  observation  has 
confirmed  my  fears.     It  will  not  do.  Otto,  not  do," 


00  PEINCE    OTTO. 

"  What  will  not  do?"  demanded  the  prince,  with  a  sickening  stall 
of  pain. 

"  None  of  it,"  answered  Gotthold.  "  You  are  unfitted  for  a  life 
of  action;  you  lack  the  stamina,  the  habit,  the  restraint,  the  pa- 
tience. Your  wife  is  greatly  better,  vastly  better;  and  though  she 
is  in  bad  hands,  displays  a  very  different  aptitude.  She  is  a  woman 
of  affairs;  you  are— dear  boy,  you  are  yourself.  I  bid  you  back  to 
your  amusements;  like  a  .smiling  dominie,  I  give  you  holidays  for 
life.  Yes,"  he  continued,  "  there  is  a  day  appointed  for  all  when 
they  shall  turn  again  upon  their  own  philosophy.  I  had  grown  to 
disbelieve  impartially  in  all;  and  if  in  the  atlas  of  the  sciences 
there  were  two  charts  I  disbelieved  in  more  than  all  the  rest,  they 
were  politics  and  morals.  I  had  a  sneaking  kindness  for  your 
vices;  as  they  M^ere  negative,  they  flattered  my  philosophy;  and  I 
called  them  almost  virtues.  Well,  Otto,  I  was  wrong;  I  have  for- 
sworn my  skeptical  philosophy;  and  I  perceive  your  faults  to  be 
unpardonable.  You  are  unfit  to  be  a  prince,  unfit  to  be  a  husband, 
And  I  give  you  my  word,  I  would  rather  see  a  man  capably  doing 
evil,  than  blundering  about  good." 

Otto  was  still  silent,  in  extreme  dudgeon. 

Presently  the  doctor  resumed :  "  I  will  take  the  smaller  matter 
fi.rst;  your  conduct  to  your  wife.  You  went,  I  hear,  and  had  an 
explanation.  That  may  have  been  right  or  wrong;  I  know  not;  at 
least,  you  had  stirred  her  temper.  At  the  council,  she  insults  you; 
well,  you  insult  her  back,  a  man  to  a  woman,  a  husband  to  his 
wife,  in  public!  Next  upon  the  back  of  this,  you  propose — the 
story  runs  like  wildfire — to  recall  the  power  of  signature.  Can  she 
ever  forgive  that?  a  woman?  a  young  woman?  ambitious,  conscious 
of  talents  bej^ond  yours?  Never,  Otto.  And  to  sum  all,  at  such 
a  crisis  in  your  married  life,  you  get  into  a  window  corner  with 
that  ogling  dame,  Von  Ro?en.  I  do  not  dream  that  there  was  any 
harm;  but  I  do  say  it  was  an  idle  disrespect  to  your  wife.  Why, 
man,  the  woman  is  not  decent. ' ' 

"  Gotthold,"  said  Otto,  "  I  will  hear  no  evil  of  the  countess." 

"You  will  certainly  hear  no  good  of  her,"  returned  Gotthold; 
"  and  if  you  wish  your  wife  to  be  the  pink  of  nicety,  you  should 
clear  j^our  court  of  demi-reputations. " 

"  The  commonplace  injustice  of  a  by-word,"  Otto  cried.  "  The 
partiality  of  sex.  She  is  a  demirep;  what  then  is  Gondremark? 
Were  she  a  man — ' ' 

"It  would  be  all  one,"  retorted  Gotthold  roughly.  "  When  I 
see  a  man,  come  to  years  of  wisdom,  who  speaks  in  double-meau- 


PUINCE    OTTO.  91 

ings  and  is  the  braggart  of  his  vices,  I  spit  on  the  other  side. 
'  You,  my  friend,'  say  I,  '  are  not  even  a  gentleman.'  Well,  she's 
not  even  a  lady." 

•'  She  is  the  best  friend  I  have,  and  I  choose  that  she  shall  be  re- 
spected," Otto  said. 

"  If  she  is  your  friend,  so  much  the  worse,"  replied  the  doctor. 
"  It  will  not  stop  there." 

"Ah!"  cried  Otto,  "there  is  the  charity  of  virtue!  All  evil  in 
the  spotted  fruit.  But  I  can  tell  you,  sir,  that  you  do  Madame 
von  Rosen  prodigal  injustice." 

"You  can  tell  me!"  said  the  doctor  shrewdly.  "Have  you 
tried?  have  you  been  riding  the  marches?" 

The  blood  came  into  Otto's  face. 

"Ah!"  cried  Gotthold,  "  look  at  your  wife  and  blush!  There's 
a  vdfe  for  a  man  to  marry  and  then  lose!  She's  a  carnation.  Otto. 
The  soul  is  in  her  eyes.  ' 

"  You  have  changed  your  note  for  Seraphina,  I  perceive,"  said 
Otto. 

"Changed  it!"  cried  the  doctor,  with  a  flush.  "Why,  when 
was  it  different?  But  I  own  I  admired  her  at  the  council.  When 
she  sat  there  silent,  tapping  with  her  foot,  I  admired  as  I  might  a 
hurricane.  Were  I  one  of  those  who  venture  upon  matrimony, 
there  had  been  the  prize  to  tempt  me!  She  invites,  as  Mexico  in- 
vited Cortez;  the  enterprise  is  hard,  the  natives  are  unfriendly — I 
believe  them  cruel,  too — but  the  metropolis  is  paved  with  gold  and 
the  breeze  blows  out  of  paradise.  Yes,  1  could  desire  to  be  that 
conqueror.  But  to  philander  with  Von  Rosen;  never!  Senses?  I 
discard  them;  what  are  they?  pruritus!  Curiosity?  Reach  me  my 
anatomy!" 

"  To  whom  do  you  address  yourself?"  cried  Otto.  "  Surely,  you 
of  ail  men  know  that  I  love  my  wife!" 

"  Oh,  love!"  cried  Gotthold;  "  love  is  a  great  word;  it  is  in  all 
the  dictionaries.  If  you  had  loved,  she  would  have  paid  you 
back.     What  does  she  ask?    A  little  ardor!" 

"  It  is  hard  to  love  for  two,"  replied  the  prince. 

"Hard?  Why,  there's  the  touchstone!  Oh,  I  know  my 
poets!"  cried  the  doctor.  "We  are  but  dust  and  fire,  too  arid  to 
endure  life's  scorching;  and  love,  like  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock, 
should  lend  shelter  and  refreshment,  not  to  the  lover  only,  but  to 
his  mistress  and  to  the  children  that  reward  them;  and  their  very 
friends  should  seek  repose  in  the  fringes  of  that  peace.  Love  is 
not  love  that  can  not  build  a  home.     And  you  call  it  love  to  grudge 


93  PRINCE    OTTO. 

and  quarrel  and  pick  faults?    You  call  it  love  to  thwart  her  to  hei 
face,  and  bandy  insults?    Love!" 

"  Gotthold,  you  are  unjust.  I  was  then  fighting  for  my  coun- 
try, ' '  said  the  prince. 

"  Ay,  and  there's  the  worst  of  all,"  returned  the  doctor.  "  You 
could  not  even  see  that  you  were  wrong;  that  being  where  they 
were,  retreat  was  ruin." 

"  Why,  you  supported  me!"  cried  Otto. 

"  I  did.  I  was  a  fool  like  you,"  replied  Gotthold.  "But  now 
my  eyes  are  open.  If  you  go  on  as  you  have  started,  di..grace  this 
fellow  Gondremark,  and  publish  the  scandal  of  your  divided 
house,  there  will  befall  a  most  abominable  thing  in  Grilnewald.  A 
revolution,  friend — a  revolution." 

' '  You  speak  strangely  for  a  red, ' '  said  Otto. 

"A  red  republican,  but  not  a  revolutionary, "  returned  the  doc- 
tor. "  An  ugly  thing  is  a  Grlinewalder  drunk!  One  man  alone 
can  save  the  country  from  this  pass,  and  that  is  the  double-dealer 
Gondremark,  with  whom  I  conjure  you  to  make  peace.  It  will 
not  be  you ;  it  never  can  be  you :  you,  who  can  do  nothing,  as 
your  wife  said,  but  trade  upon  your  station — you,  who  spent  the 
hours  in  begging  money!  And  in  God's  name,  what  for?  Why 
money?    What  mystery  of  idiocy  was  this?" 

"It  was  to  no  ill  end.  It  was  to  buy  a  farm,"  quoth  Otto, 
sulkily. 

"  To  buy  a  farm!"  cried  Gotthold.     "  Buy  a  farm!" 

"  Well,  what  then?"  returned  Otto.  "  I  have  bought  it,  if  you 
come  to  that. ' ' 

Gotthold  fairly  bounded  on  his  seat.    "And  how  that?"  he  cried. 

"  How?"  repeated  Otto,  startled. 

"  Ay,  verily,  how!"  returned  the  doctor.  "  How  came  you  by  the 
money?" 

The  prince's  countenance  darkened.  "  That  is  my  affair, "  said 
he. 

"  You  see  you  are  ashamed,"  retorted  Gotthold.  "  And  so  you 
bought  a  farm  in  the  hour  of  your  covm try's  need — doubtless  to  be 
ready  for  the  abdication;  and  I  put  it  that  you  stole  the  funds. 
There  are  not  three  ways  of  getting  money;  there  are  but  two:  to 
earn  and  steal.  And  now,  when  you  have  combined  Charles  the 
Fifth  and  Long-fingered  Tom,  you  come  to  me  to  fortify  your 
vanity!  But  I  will  clear  my  mind  upon  this  matter:  until  I  know 
the  right  and  wrong  of  the  transaction,  I  put  my  hand  behind  my 


PRINCE    OTTO.  93 

back.     A  man  may  be  the  pitifullest  prince,  he  must  be  a  spotless 
gentleman. ' ' 

The  prince  had  gotten  to  his  feet,  as  pale  as  paper.  ' '  Gotthold, ' ' 
he  said,  "  you  drive  me  beyond  bounds.     Beware,  sir,  beware!" 

"  Do  you  threaten  me,  friend  Otto?"  asked  the  doctor  grimly. 
"  That  would  be  a  strange  conclusion." 

' '  When  have  you  ever  known  me  use  my  power  in  any  private 
animosity?"  cried  Otto.  ' '  To  any  private  man,  your  words  were 
an  unpardonable  insult,  but  at  me  you  shoot  in  full  security,  and  1 
must  turn  aside  to  compliment  you  on  your  plainness.  1  must  do 
more  than  pardon,  1  must  admire,  because  you  have  faced  this — 
this  formidable  monarch,  like  a  Nathan  before  David.  You  have 
uprooted  an  old  kindness,  sir,  with  an  unsparing  hand.  You  leave 
me  very  bare.  My  last  bond  is  broken;  and  though  I  take  Heaven 
to  witness  that  I  sought  to  do  the  right,  I  have  this  reward:  to  find 
myself  alone.  You  say  I  am  no  gentleman;  yet  the  sneers  have 
been  upon  your  side;  and  though  I  can  very  well  perceive  where 
you  have  lodged  youi  sympathies,  I  will  forbear  the  taunt." 

"  Otlo,  are  you  insane?"  cried  Gotthold,  leaping  up.  "  Because 
I  ask  you  how  you  came  by  certain  moneys,  and  because  you  re- 
fuse— " 

"  Herr  von  Hohenstockwitz,  I  have  ceased  to  invite  your  aid  in 
my  aflfairs,"  said  Otto.  "  I  have  heard  all  that  I  desire,  and  you 
have  sulficiently  trampled  on  my  vanity.  It  may  be  that  I  can 
not  govern,  it  may  be  that  I  can  not  love — you  tell  me  so  with 
every  mark  of  honesty;  but  God  has  granted  me  one  virtue,  and  I 
can  still  forgive.  I  forgive  you;  even  in  this  hour  of  passion,  I 
can  perceive  my  faults  and  your  excuses;  and  if  I  desire  that  in 
future  I  may  be  spared  your  conversation,  it  is  not,  sir,  from  re- 
sentment— not  resentment — but  by  Heaven,  because  no  man  on 
earth  could  endure  to  be  so  rated.  You  have  the  satisfaction  to  see 
your  sovereign  weep;  and  that  person  whom  you  have  so  often 
taunted  with  his  happiness,  reduced  to  the  last  pitch  of  solitude 
and  misery.  No — I  will  hear  nothing;  I  claim  the  last  word,  sir, 
as  your  prince;  and  that  last  word  shall  be — forgiveness." 

And  with  that  Otto  was  gone  from  the  apartment,  and  Doctor 
Gotthold  was  left  alone  with  the  most  conflicting  sentiments  of  sor- 
row and  remorse  and  merriment :  walking  to  and  fro  before  his 
table,  and  asking  himself,  with  hands  uplifted,  which  of  the  pair 
of  them  was  most  to  blame  for  this  unhappy  rupture.  Presentl)^ 
he  took  from  a  cupboard  a  bottle  of  Rhine  wine  and  a  goblet  of 
the  deep  Bohemian  ruby.     The  first  glass  a  little  warmed  and  com- 


94  PRINCE    OTTO. 

forted  his  bosom;  with  the  second,  he  began  to  look  down  upon 
these  troubles  from  a  sunny  mountain;  yet  awhile,  and  filled  with 
this  false  comfort  and  contemplating  life  throughout  a  golden  me- 
dium, he  owned  to  himself,  with  a  flush,  a  smile  and  a  half-pleas- 
urable sigh,  that  he  had  been  somewhat  overplain  in  dealing  with 
his  cousin.  "  He  said  the  truth,  too,"  added  the  penitent  librarian, 
"for  in  my  monkish  fashion,  I  adore  the  princess."  And  then 
with  a  still  deepening  flush  and  a  certain  stealth,  although  he  sat 
all  alone  in  that  great  gallery,  he  toasted  Seraphina  to  the  dregs. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

fBOVIDENCE    VON  ROSEN. — ACT    THE    FERST. — SHE  BEGUILES  THE 
BARON. 

At  a  sufliciently  late  hour  or,  to  be  more  exact,  at  three  in  the 
afternoon,  Madame  von  Rosen  issued  on  the  world.  She  swept 
down.-stairs  and  out  across  the  garden,  a  black  mantilla  thrown 
over  her  head,  and  the  long  train  of  her  black  velvet  dress  ruth- 
lessly sweeping  in  the  dirt. 

At  the  other  end  of  that  long  garden,  and  back  to  back  with  the 
villa  of  the  countess,  stood  the  large  mansion  where  the  prime 
minister  transacted  his  afl:airs  and  pleasures.  This  distance,  which 
was  enough  for  decency  by  the  easy  canons  of  Mittwalden,  the 
countess  swiftly  traversed,  opened  a  little  door  with  a  key,  mounted 
a  flight  of  stairs,  and  entered  unceremoniously  into  Gondremark's 
study.  It  was  a  large  and  very  high  apartment;  books  all  about 
the  walls,  papers  on  the  table,  papers  on  the  floor;  here  and  there  a 
picture,  somewhat  scant  of  drapery;  a  great  fire  glowing  and 
flaming  in  the  blue  tiled  hearth;  and  the  daylight  streaming 
through  a  cupola  above.  In  the  midst  of  this  sat  the  great  Baron 
Gondremark  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  his  business  for  that  day  fairly  at 
an  end,  and  the  hour  arrived  for  relaxation.  His  expression,  his 
veiy  nature  seemed  to  have  undergone  a  fundamental  cljange. 
Gondremark  at  home  appeared  the  very  antipode  of  Gondremark 
on  duty.  He  had  an  air  of  massive  jollity  that  well  became  him; 
grossness  and  geniality  sat  upon  his  features;  and  along  with  his 
manners,  he  had  laid  aside  his  sly  and  sinister  expression.  He  lolled 
there,  sunning  his  bulk  before  the  fire,  a  noble  animal. 

"Hey!"  he  cried.     "At  last!" 

The  countess  stepped  into  the  room  in  silence,  threw  herself  up- 


PRIKCE    OTTO.  9o 

on  a  chair  and  crossed  her  legs.  la  her  lace  and  velvet,  with  a 
good  display  of  smooth  black  stocking  and  of  snowy  petticoat,  and 
with  the  retined  prolile  of  her  face  and  slender  plumpness  of  her 
body,  she  showed  in  singular  contrast  to  the  big,  black,  intellectual 
satyr  by  the  fire. 

"  How  often  do  you  send  for  me?"  she  cried.  "  It  is  compromis- 
ing." 

Gondremark  laughed,  "Speaking  of  that,"  said  he,  "  what  in 
the  devil's  name  were  you  about?  You  were  not  home  till  morning. " 

"  I  was  giving  alms,"  she  said. 

The  baron  again  laughed  loud  and  long,  for  in  his  shirt-sleeves  he 
was  a  very  mirthful  creature.  "  It  is  fortunate  I  am  not  jealous," 
he  remarked.  "But  you  know  my  way;  pleasure  and  liberty  go 
hand  in  hand.  I  believe  what  I  believe;  it  is  not  much,  but  I  be- 
lieve it.    But  now,  to  business.     Have  you  not  read  my  letter?" 

"  No,"  she  said,  "  my  head  ached." 

"  Ah,  well!  then  I  have  news  indeed!"  cried  Gondremark.  "I 
was  mad  to  see  j^ou  all  last  night  and  all  this  morning:  for  yester- 
day afternoon,  I  brought  my  long  business  to  a  head;  the  ship  has 
come  home;  one  more  dead  lift,  and  I  shall  cease  to  fetch  and  carry 
for  the  Princess  Eatafia.  Yes,  it's  done.  I  have  the  order  all  in 
Ratafia's  hand;  I  cany  it  on  my  heart.  At  the  hour  of  twelve  to- 
night. Prince  Featherhead  is  to  be  taken  in  his  bed  and,  like  the 
bambino,  whipped  into  a  chariot;  and  by  next  morning,  he  will 
command  a  most  romantic  prospect  from  the  donjon  of  the  Felsen- 
burg.  Farewell,  Featherhead!  The  war  goes  on,  the  girl  is  in  my 
hands;  I  have  long  been  indispensable,  but  now  I  shall  be  sole.  I 
have  long,"  he  added  exultingly,  "long  carried  this  intrigue 
upon  my  shoulders,  like  Sampson  with  the  gates  of  Gaza;  now  I  dis- 
charge that  burden." 

She  had  sprung  to  her  feet  a  little  paler.  "  Is  this  true?"  she 
cried. 

"  I  tell  you  a  fact, "  he  asseverated.     "  The  trick  is  played. " 

"I  "will  never  believe  it,"  she  said.  "An  order?  In  her  own 
hand?    I  will  never  believe  it,  Heinrich." 

"  I  swear  to  you,"  said  he. 

"  Oh,  what  do  you  care  for  oaths— or  I  either?  What  would  you 
swear  by?  Wine,  women  and  song?  It  is  not  binding,"  she  said. 
She  had  come  quite  close  up  to  him  and  laid  her  hand  upon  his 
arm.  "As  for  the  order— no,  Heinrich,  never!  I  will  never  be- 
lieve it.  I  will  die  ere  I  believe  it.  You  have  some  secret  purpose 
— what  I  can  not  guess — but  not  one  word  of  it  is  true," 


9G  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  Shall  I  show  it  you?"  he  asked. 

"  You  can  not,"  she  answered.     "  There  is  no  such  thing." 

"  Incorrigible  Sadducee!"  he  cried.  "  Well,  I  will  convert  you, 
you  shall  see  the  order."  He  moved  to  a  chair  where  he  had 
thrown  his  coat,  and  then  drawing  forth  and  holding  out  a  paper, 
"  Read,"  said  he. 

She  took  it  greedily,  and  her  eye  flashed  as  she  perused  it. 

"Hey!"  cried  the  baron,  "there  falls  a  dynasty;  and  it  was  I 
that  felled  it,  and  I  and  you  inherit!"  He  seemed  to  swell  in  stat- 
ure; and  next  moment,  with  a  laugh,  he  put  his  hand  forward. 
"  Give  me  the  dagger,"  said  he. 

But  she  whisked  the  paper  suddenly  behind  her  back  and  faced 
him,  lowering.  "No,  no,"  she  said.  "You  and  I  have  first  a 
point  to  settle.  Do  you  suppose  me  blind?  She  could  never  have 
given  that  paper  but  to  one  man,  and  that  man  her  lover.  Here 
you  stand — her  lover,  her  accomplice,  her  master — oh,  I  well  be- 
lieve it,  for  I  know  your  power.  But  what  am  1?"  she  cried;  "  I, 
whom  you  deceive!" 

"Jealousy!"  cried  Gondremark.  "Anna,  I  would  never  have 
believed  it!  But  I  declare  to  you  by  all  that's  credible,  that  I  am 
not  her  lover.  I  might  be,  I  suppose;  but  I  never  yet  durst  risk 
the  declaration.  The  chit  is  so  unreal;  a  mincing  doll;  she  will 
and  she  will  not;  Ihere  is  no  counting  on  her,  by  God!  And 
hitherto  I  have  had  my  own  way  without,  and  keep  the  lover  in 
reserve.  And  I  say,  Anna,"  he  added  with  severity,  "you  must 
break  yourself  of  this  new  fit,  my  girl;  there  must  be  no  combus- 
tion. I  keep  the  creature  under  the  belief  that  I  adore  her;  and  if 
she  caught  a  breath  of  you  and  me,  she  is  such  a  fool,  prude,  and 
dog-in-the-manger,  that  she  is  capable  of  spoiling  all." 

"  All  very  fine,"  returned  the  lady.  "  With  whom  do  you  pass 
your  days?  and  which  am  I  to  believe,  your  words  or  your  ac- 
tions?" 

"  Anna,  the  devil  take  you,  are  you  blind?"  cried  Gondremark. 
"  You  know  me.  Am  I  likely  to  care  for  such  a  preciosa?  'Tis 
hard  that  we  should  have  been  together  for  so  long,  and  you  should 
still  take  me  for  a  troubador.  But  if  there  is  one  thing  that  I  de- 
spise and  deprecate,  it  is  all  such  figures  in  Berlin  wool.  Give  me 
a  human  woman — like  myself.  You  are  my  mate;  you  were  made 
for  me;  you  amuse  me  like  the  play.  And  what  have  I  to  gain 
that  1  should  pretend  to  you?  If  I  do  not  love  you,  what  use  are 
you  to  me?    Why,  none.     It  is  as  clear  as  noonday." 


PRINCE    OTTO.  97 

"Do  you  love  me,  Heinrich?"  she  asked,  languishing.  "Do 
you  truly?" 

"  I  tell  you,"  he  cried,  "  I  love  you  next  after  myself.  I  should 
be  all  abroad  if  I  had  lost  you." 

"Well,  then,"  said  she,  folding  up  the  paper  and  putting  i( 
calmly  in  her  pocket,  "I  will  believe  you,  and  I  join  the  plot 
Count  upon  me.  At  midnight,  did  you  say?  It  is  Gordon,  1  see, 
that  you  have  charged  with  it.  Excellent;  he  will  stick  at  nothing." 

Gondremark  watched  her  suspiciously.  "  Why  do  you  take  tiiat 
paper?"  he  demanded.     "Give  it  here." 

"  No,"  she  returned,  "  I  mean  to  keep  it.  It  is  I  who  must  pre- 
pare the  stroke;  you  can  not  manage  it  without  me;  and  to  do  my 
best  I  must  possess  the  paper.  Where  shall  I  find  Gordon?  In 
his  rooms?"     She  spoke  with  a  rather  feverish  self-possession. 

"Anna,"  he  said  sternly,  the  black,  bilious  countenance  of  his 
palace  role  taking  the  place  of  the  more  open  favor  of  his  hours  at 
home,  "  1  ask  you  for  that  paper.     Once,  twice  and  thrice." 

"  Heinrich,"  she  returned,  looking  him  in  the  face,  "  take  care. 
I  will  put  up  with  no  dictation." 

Both  looked  dangerous;  and  the  silence  lasted  for  a  measurable 
interval  of  time.  Then  she  made  haste  to  have  the  first  word; 
and  with  a  laugh  that  rang  clear  and  honest,  "  Do  not  be  a  child," 
she  said.  "  I  wonder  at  you.  If  your  assurances  are  true,  you 
can  have  no  reason  to  mistrust  me,  nor  I  to  play  you  false.  The 
difficulty  is  to  get  the  prince  out  of  the  palace  without  scandal.  His 
valets  are  devoted;  his  chamberlain  a  slave;  and  yet  one  cry  might 
ruin  all. ' ' 

"  They  must  be  overpowered,"  he  said,  following  her  to  the  new 
ground,  "  and  disappear  along  with  him." 

"And  your  whole  scheme  along  wiih  them!"  she  cried.  "He 
does  not  take  his  servants  when  he  goes  a-hunting:  a  child  could 
read  the  truth.  No,  no;  the  plan  is  idiotic;  it  must  be  Ratafia's. 
But  hear  me.     You  know  the  prince  worships  me?" 

"  I  know,"  he  said.     "  Poor  Featherhead,  I  cross  his  destiny!" 

"  Well  now,"  she  continued,  "  what  if  I  bring  him  alone  out  of 
the  palace,  to  some  quiet  corner  of  the  park — the  Flying  Mercury, 
for  instance?  Gordon  can  be  posted  in  the  thicket;  the  carriage 
wait  behind  the  temple;  not  a  cry,  not  a  scuffle,  not  a  footfall:  sim- 
ply, the  prince  vanishes!  What  do  you  say?  Am  I  an  able  ally? 
Are  my  beaux  yeux  of  service?  Ah,  Heinrich,  do  not  lose  your 
Anna!  she  has  power!" 

He  struck  with  his  open  hand  upon  the  chimney,     "  Witchl" 
4 


98  PRTN'CE    OTTO. 

he  said,  "  there  is  not  your  match  for  devilry  in  Europe.  Service! 
the  thing  runs  on  wheels. ' ' 

"  Kiss  me,  then,  and  let  me  go.  I  must  not  miss  my  Feather- 
head,"  she  said. 

"  Stay,  stay,"  said  the  baron,  "  not  so  fast.  I  wish,  upon  my 
soul,  that  I  could  trust  you;  but  you  are,  out  and  in,  so  whimsical 
a  devil  that  I  dare  not.     Hang  it,  Anna,  no;  it's  not  possible!" 

"  You  doubt  me,  Heinrich?"  she  cried. 

"Doubt  is  not  the  word, "  said  he.  "  I  know  you.  Once  you 
were  clear  of  me  with  that  paper  in  your  pocket,  who  knows  what 
you  would  do  with  it?  not  you,  at  least — nor  I.  You  see,"  he  ad- 
ded, shaking  his  head  paternally  upon  the  countess,  '  you  are  as 
vicious  as  a  monkey. ' ' 

"  I  swear  to  you,"  she  cried,  "  by  my  salvation — " 

"  Singular  child!  I  have  no  curiosity  to  hear  you  swearing," 
said  the  baron. 

"  You  think  that  I  have  no  religion?  You  suppose  me  destitute 
of  honor.  "Well,"  she  said,  "  see  here:  I  will  not  argue,  but  I  tel^ 
you  once  for  all :  leave  me  this  order  and  the  prince  shall  be  arrested 
— take  it  from  me  and,  as  certain  as  I  speak,  I  will  upset  the  coach. 
Trust  me,  or  fear  me:  take  your  choice."  And  she  offered  him 
the  paper. 

The  baron,  in  a  great  contention  of  mind,  stood  irresolute,  weigh- 
ing the  two  dangers.  Once  his  hand  advanced,  then  dropped. 
"  Well,''  he  said,  "  since  trust  is  what  you  call  it — " 

"  No  more,"  she  interrupted.  "  Do  not  spoil  your  attitude.  And 
now  since  you  have  behaved  like  a  good  sort  of  fellow  in  the  dark, 
I  will  condescend  to  tell  you  why.  I  go  to  the  palace  to  arrange 
with  Gordon;  but  how  is  Gordon  to  obey  me?  And  how  can  I 
foresee  the  hours?  It  may  be  midnight;  ay,  and  it  may  be  night- 
fall; all's  a  chance;  and  to  act,  I  must  be  free  and  hold  the  strings 
of  the  adventure.  And  now,  '  she  cried,  "  your  Vivien  goes.  Dub 
me  your  knight!'  And  she  held  out  her  arms  and  smiled  upon  him 
radiant. 

"Well,"  he  said,  when  he  had  kissed  her,  "every  man  must 
have  his  folly;  I  thank  God  mine  is  no  worse.  Off  with  youl  I 
have  given  a  child  a  squib." 


PRINCE    OTTO.  99 


CHAPTER  XII. 

PROVIDENCE   VON   ROSEN. — ACT    THE    SECOND. — SHE   INFORMS  THE 
PRINCE. 

It  was  the  first  impulse  of  Madame  von  Rosen  to  return  to  her 
own  villa  and  revise  her  toilet.  Whatever  else  should  come  of  this 
adventure,  it  was  her  firm  design  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  princess. 
And  before  that  woman,  so  little  beloved,  the  countess  would  ap- 
pear at  no  disadvantage.  It  was  the  work  of  minutes.  Von  Rosen 
had  the  captain's  ej'e  in  matters  of  the  toilet;  she  was  none  of 
those  who  hang  in  Fabian  helplessness  among  their  flneiy  and, 
after  hours,  come  forth  upon  the  world  as  dowdies.  A  glance,  a 
loosened  curl,  a  studied  and  admired  disorder  in  the  hair,  a  bit  of 
lace,  a  touch  of  color,  a  yellow  rose  implanted  in  the  bosom,  and 
the  instant  picture  was  complete. 

"  That  will  do,"  she  said.  "  Bid  my  carriage  follow  me  to  the 
palace.     In  half  an  hour  it  should  be  there  in  waiting. " 

The  night  was  beginning  to  fall,  and  the  shops  to  shine  with 
lamps  along  the  tree-beshadowed  thoroughfares  of  Otto's  capital, 
when  the  countess  started  on  her  high  emprise.  She  was  jocund  at 
heart;  i^leasure  and  interest  had  winged  her  beauty,  and  she  knew 
it.  She  paused  before  the  glowing  jeweler's;  she  remarked  and 
praised  a  costume  in  the  milliner's  window;  and  when  she  reached 
the  lime-tree  walk,  with  its  high  umbrageous  arches  and  stir  of 
passers-by  in  the  dim  alleys,  she  took  her  place  upon  a  bench  and 
dallied  with  the  pleasures  of  the  hour.  It  was  cold,  but  she  did 
not  feel  it,  being  warm  within;  her  thoughts,  in  that  dark  corner, 
shone  like  the  gold  and  rubies  at  the  jeweler's;  her  ears,  which 
heard  the  brushing  of  so  many  footfalls,  transposed  it  into  music. 

What  was  she  to  do?  She  held  the  paper  by  which  all  de- 
pended. Otto  and  Gondreraark  and  Ratafia,  and  the  estate  itself, 
hung  light  in  her  balances,  as  light  as  dust;  her  little  finger  laid  in 
either  scale  would  set  all  flying;  and  she  hugged  herself  upon  her 
huge  preponderance,  and  then  laughed  aloud  to  think  how  giddily 
it  might  be  used.  The  vertigo  of  omnipotence,  the  disease  of 
Caesars,  shook  her  reason.  "  Oh,  the  mad  world!"  she  thought, 
and  laughed  aloud  in  exultation. 

A  child,  finger  in  mouth,  had  paused  a  little  way  from  where  she 
sat,  and  stared  with  cloudy  interest  upon  tliis  laugliing  lady.     She 


100  PKINCE    OTTO. 

^lled  it  nearer-,  but  the  child  hung  back.  Instantly  with  that  curi 
ous  passion  which  you  may  see  any  woman  in  the  world  display, 
on  the  most  odd  occasions,  for  a  similar  end,  the  countess  bent  her- 
self with  singleness  of  mind  to  overcome  this  diffidence;  and  pres- 
ently, sure  enough,  the  child  was  seated  on  her  knee,  thumbing  and 
glowering  at  her  watch. 

"  If  you  had  a  clay  bear  and  a  china  monkey,"  asked  Von  Rosen, 
"  whicli  would  you  prefer  to  break?" 

"  But  I  have  neither,"  said  the  child. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  here  is  a  bright  florin,  with  which  you  may 
purchase  both  the  one  and  the  other;  and  I  shall  give  it  you  at 
once,  if  you  will  answer  my  question.  The  clay  bear  or  the  china 
monkey — come ! ' ' 

But  the  unbreeched  soothsayer  only  stared  upon  the  florin  with 
big  eyes;  the  oracle  could  not  be  persuaded  to  reply:  and  the  count- 
ess kissed  him  lightly,  gave  him  the  florin,  set  him  down  upon  the 
path  and  resumed  her  way  with  swinging  and  elastic  gait. 

■'  Which  shall  I  break?"  she  wondered;  and  she  passed  her  hand 
with  delight  among  the  careful  disarrangement  of  her  locks. 
"  Which?  '  and  she  consulted  heaven  with  her  bright  eyes.  "  Do 
I  love  both  or  neither?  A  little— passionately — not  at  all?  Both  or 
neither — both,  I  believe,  but  at  least  I  will  make  hay  of  Ratafla." 

By  the  time  she  had  passed  the  iron  gates,  mounted  the  drive, 
and  set  her  foot  upon  the  broad-flagged  terrace,  the  night  had  come 
completely;  the  palace  front  was  thick  with  lighted  windows;  and 
along  the  balustrade,  the  lamp  on  every  twentieth  baluster  shone 
clear.  A  few  withered  tracks  of  sunset,  amber  and  glowworm 
green,  still  lingered  in  the  western  sky;  and  she  paused  once  more 
to  watch  them  fading. 

"  And  to  think,"  she  said,  "  that  here  am  I — destiny  embodied, 
a  norn,  a  fate,  a  providence — and  have  no  guess  upon  which  side  I 
shall  declare  myself!"  Otto's  windows  were  bright  among  the  rest, 
and  she  looked  on  them  with  rising  tenderness.  "  How  does  it 
feel  to  be  deserted.'"  she  thought.  "Poor,  dear  fool!  The  girl 
deserves  (hat  he  should  see  this  order. ' ' 

Without  more  delay,  she  passed  into  the  palace  and  asked  for  an 
audience  of  Prince  Otto  The  prince,  she  was  told,  was  in  his  own 
apartment,  and  desired  to  be  private.  She  sent  her  name,  A  man 
presently  returned  with  word  that  the  prince  tendered  his  apologies, 
but  could  see  no  one.  "'  Then  1  will  write,"  she  said,  and  scribbled 
a  few  lines  alleging  urgency  of  life  and  death.  "  Help  me,  my 
prince,"  she  added,  '  none  but  you  can  help  me. "    This  lime  the 


riUNCE    OTTO.  01 

messenger  returned  more  speedily  and  begged  the  countess  to  fol- 
low bim;  the  prince  was  graciously  pleased  to  receive  the  Frau 
Grafin  von  Rosen. 

Otto  sat  by  the  tire  in  his  large  armory,  weapons  faintly  glitter- 
ing all  about  him  in  the  changeful  light.  His  face  was  disfigured 
by  the  marks  of  weeping.  He  looked  sour  and  sad;  nor  did  he  rise 
to  greet  his  visitor,  but  bowed  and  bade  the  man  begone.  That 
kind  of  general  tenderness  which  served  the  countess  for  both 
heart  and  conscience,  sharply  smote  her  at  this  spectacle  of  grief 
and  "weakness;  she  began  Immediately  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of 
her  part;  and  as  soon  as  they  were  alone,  taking  one  step  forward 
and  with  a  magnificent  gesture — "  Up!"  she  cried. 

"Madame  von  Rosen,"  replied  Otto  dully,  "you  have  used 
strong  words.  You  speak  of  life  and  death.  Pray,  madamo,  Avho 
is  threatened?  Who  is  there,"  he  added  bitterly,  "so  dcstilute 
that  even  Otto  of  Griinewald  can  assist  him?" 

"First  learn,"  said  she,  "the  names  of  the  conspirators:  the 
Princess  and  the  Baron  Goudremark.  Can  you  not  guess  the 
rest?"  And  then  as  he  maintained  his  .silence — "  You!"  she  cried, 
pointing  at  him  with  her  finger.  "  'Tis  j'ou  they  threaten!  Your 
rascal  and  mine  have  laid  their  heads  together  and  condemned  you. 
But  they  reckoned  without  j'ou  and  me.  We  make  a  pariie  carre, 
prince,  in  love  and  politics.  Thej^  lead  an  ace,  but  we  shall  trump 
it.     Come,  partner,  shall  I  draw  my  card?" 

"  Madame, "  he  said,  "explain  yourself.  Indeed  I  fail  to  com- 
prehend. ' 

"  See,  then,"  said  she;  and  handed  him  the  order. 
He  took  it,  looked  upon  it  with  a  start;  and  then,  still  without 
speech,  he  put  his  hand  before  his  face.     She  waited  for  a  word  in 
vain. 

"What?"  she  cried,  "do  j'ou  take  the  thing  down-heartedly? 
As  well  seek  wine  in  a  milk  pail  as  love  in  l.iat  girl's  heart!  Be 
done  with  this,  and  be  a  man.  After  the  league  of  the  lions,  let  us 
have  a  conspiracy  of  mice,  and  pull  this  piece  of  machinery  to 
ground.  You  were  brisk  enough  last  night  when  nothing  was  at 
stake  and  all  was  frolic.  Well,  here  is  better  sport;  here  is  life 
indeed." 

He  got  to  his  feet  with  some  alacrity,  and  his  face,  which  was 
a  little  flushed,  bore  the  marks  of  resolution. 

"Madame  von  Rosen,"  said  he,  "I  am  neither  unconscious  nor 
ungrateful;  this  is  (ho  true  continuation  of  your  friendship;  but  1 
sec  that  I  must  disappoint  your  expectations.     You  seem  to  expect 


102  PKINCE    OTTO. 

from  mc  some  effort  of  resistance;  but  why  should  I  resist?  1 
have  not  much  to  gaiu;  and  now  that  I  have  read  this  paper,  and 
the  last  of  a  fool's  paradise  is  shattered,  it  would  be  hyperbolical 
to  speak  of  loss  in  the  same  breath  with  Otto  of  Grlinewald.  I  have 
no  party;  no  policy;  no  pride,  nor  anything  to  be  proud  of.  For 
what  benefit  or  principle  below  the  sky  do  j'ou  expect  me  to  con- 
tend? Would  you  have  me  bite  and  scratch  like  a  trapped  weasel? 
No,  madame;  signify  to  those  who  sent  you  my  readiness  to  go.  1 
would  at  least  avoid  a  scandal." 

"  You  go? — of  your  own  will,  j'ou  go?"  she  cried. 

"  I  can  not  say  so  much  perhaps,"  he  answered;  "  but  I  go  with 
good  alacrity.  I  have  desired  a  change  some  time;  behold  one 
offered  me!  Shall  I  refuse?  Thank  God,  I  am  not  so  destitute  of 
humor  as  to  make  a  tragedy  of  such  a  farce."  He  flicked  the  order 
on  the  table.  "You  may  signify  my  readiness,"  he  added, 
grandly. 

"  Ah,"  she  said,  "  you  are  more  angry  than  j'ou  own." 

"  I,  madame?  angry?"  he  cried.  "  You  rave.  I  have  no  cause 
for  angor.  In  every  way  I  have  been  taught  my  weakness,  my  in- 
stability and  my  unfitness  for  the  world.  1  am  a  plexus  of  weak- 
nesses, an  impotent  prince,  a  doubtful  gentleman;  and  you  your- 
self, indulgent  as  you  are,  have  twice  reproved  my  levity.  And 
shall  I  be  angry?  I  may  feel  the  unkindness,  but  I  have  suflicient 
honesty  of  mind  to  see  the  reasons  of  this  couj)  d'etat." 

"  From  whom  have  you  got  this?"  she  cried  in  wonder.  "  You 
think  you  have  not  behaved  well?  My  prince,  were  you  not  young 
and  handsome,  I  should  detest  you  for  your  virtues.  You  push 
them  to  the  verge  of  commonplace.     And  this  ingratitude — " 

"  Understand  me,  Madame  von  Rosen."  returned  the  prince,  flush- 
ing a  little  darker,  ' '  there  can  be  hero  no  talk  of  gratitude,  none 
of  pride.  You  are  here,  bj^  what  circumstance  I  know  not,  but 
doubtless  led  bj^  your  kindness,  mixed  up  in  what  regards  my  fam- 
ily alone.  You  have  no  kno nledge  whaV  my  wife,  your  sovereign, 
may  have  suffered;  it  is  not  for  j-ou — no,  nor  for  me — to  judge.  I 
own  myself  in  fault  ;  and  were  it  otherwise,  a  man  were  a  very 
empty  boaster,  who  should  talk  of  love  and  start  before  a  small 
humiliation.  It  is  in  all  the  copy-books  that  one  should  die  to 
please  his  lady-love;  and  shajl  a  man  not  go  to  prison?" 

"  Love?  And  what  has  love  to  do  with  being  sent  to  jail?"  ex- 
claimed the  countess,  appealing  to  the  walls  and  roof.  '"  Heaven 
Ivoows  I  think  as  much  of  love  as  any  one;  my  life  would  prove  it; 


PRINCE    OTTO.  103 

but  I  admit  no  love  but  what  is  equally  returned.     The  rest  is 
moonshine. ' ' 

"  I  think  of  love  more  absolutely,  madame,  though  I  am  certain 
no  more  tenderly,  than  a  lady  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  such  kind- 
nesses,"  returned  the  prince.  "But  this  is  unavailing.  We  are 
not  here  to  hold  a  court  of  troubadours." 

"  Still,"  she  replied,  "  there  is  one  thing  j'ou  forget.  If  she  con- 
spires with  Goudremark  against  your  liberty,  she  may  conspire  with 
him  against  your  honor  also. ' ' 

"My  honor?"  he  repeated.  "  For  a  woman  you  surprise  me.  If 
I  have  failed  to  gain  her  love  or  play  my  part  of  husband,  what 
right  is  left  me?  or  what  honor  can  remain  in  such  a  scene  of  fail- 
ure? No  honor  that  I  recognize.  I  am  become  a  stranger.  If  my 
wife  no  longer  loves  me,  I  will  go  to  prison  since  she  wills  it;  if  she 
love  another,  where  should  I  be  more  in  place?  or  whose  fault  is 
it  but  mine?  You  speak,  Madame  von  Rosen,  like  tco  many 
women,  with  a  man's  tongue.  Had  I  myself  fallen  into  tempta- 
tion (as  heaven  knows,  I  might)  I  should  have  trembled  but  still 
hoped  and  asked  for  her  forgiveness;  and  yet  mine  had  been  a 
treason  in  the  teeth  of  love.  But  let  me  tell  you,  madame,"  he  pur- 
sued, with  rising  irritation,  ' '  where  a  husband  by  futility,  facility, 
and  ill-timed  humors  has  outwearied  his  vdfe's  patience,  I  will 
suffer  neither  man  nor  woman  to  misjudge  her.  She  is  free :  the 
man  has  been  found  wanting. ' ' 

"Because  she  loves  you  not?"  the  countess  cried,  "  You  know 
she  is  incapable  of  such  a  feeling." 

"  Rather,  it  was  I  who  was  born  incapable  of  winning  it,"  said 
Otto. 

Madame  von  Rosen  broke  into  sudden  laughter.  "Fool,"  she 
cried,  "  I  am  in  love  with  you  myself." 

"Ah,  madame,  you  are  most  compassionate,"  the  prince  re- 
torted, smiling.  "  But  this  is  waste  debate.  I  know  my  purpose. 
Perhaps,  to  equal  you  in  frankness,  I  know  and  embrace  my  ad- 
vantage. I  am  not  without  the  spirit  of  adventure.  I  am  in  a 
false  position — so  recognized  by  public  acclamation:  do  you  grudge 
me,  then,  my  issue?" 

"If  your  mind  is  made  up,  why  should  I  dissuade  you?"  said 
the  countess.  "I  own,  with  a  bare  face,  I  am  the  gainer.  Go, 
you  take  my  heart  with  you,  or  more  of  it  than  I  desire;  I  shall  not 
sleep  at  night  for  thinking  of  your  misery.  But  do  not  be  afraid;  I 
would  not  spoil  you,  you  are  such  a  fool  and  hero." 

"  Alafi,  madame,"  cried  the  prince,  "  and  your  unlucky  moneys 


104  PRINCE    OTTO. 

I  did  amiss  to  take  it,  but  you  are  a  wonderful  persuader.  And  1 
thank  God,  I  can  still  offer  you  the  fair  equivalent."  He  took 
some  papers  from  the  chimney,  "  Here,  madame,  are  the  title 
deeds,"  he  said;  "  where  I  am  going,  they  can  certainly  he  of  no 
use  to  me,  and  I  have  now  no  other  hope  of  making  up  to  you  your 
kindness.  You  made  the  loan  without  formality,  obeying  your 
kind  heart.  The  parts  are  somewhat  changed;  the  sun  of  this 
Prince  of  Griinewald  is  upon  the  point  of  setting;  and  I  know  you 
better  than  to  doubt  you  will  once  more  waive  ceremony,  and  ac- 
cept the  best  that  I  can  give  you.  If  I  may  look  for  any  pleasure 
in  the  coming  time,  it  will  be  to  remember  that  the  peasant  is  se- 
cure, and  my  most  generous  friend  no  loser." 

"  Do  you  not  understand  my  odious  position?"  cried  the  count- 
ess.    "  Dear  prince,  it  is  upon  your  fall  that  I  begin  my  fortune." 

"  It  was  the  more  like  you  to  tempt  me  to  resistance,"  returned 
Otto.  "  But  this  can  not  alter  our  relations;  and  I  must,  for  the 
last  time,  lay  my  commands  upon  you  in  the  character  of  prince." 
And  with  his  loftiest  dignity,  he  forced  the  deeds  on  her  accept- 
ance. 

"  I  hate  the  very  touch  of  them, "  she  cried. 

There  followed  upon  this  a  little  silence.  "  At  what  time,"  re- 
sumed Otto,  "  if  indeed  j-ou  know,  am  I  to  be  arrested?" 

"  Your  highness,  when  you  please!"  exclaimed  the  countess. 
"  Or  if  you  choose  to  tear  that  paper,  never!" 

"  I  would  rather  it  were  done  quickly,"  said  the  prince.  "  I  shall 
take  but  time  to  leave  a  letter  for  the  princess. ' ' 

"  "Well,"  said  the  countess,  "  I  have  advised  you  to  resist;  at  the 
same  time,  if  you  intend  to  be  dumb  before  your  shearers,  I  must 
say  that  I  ought  to  set  about  arranging  your  arrest.  I  offered  " — 
she  hesitated—"  I  offered  to  manage  it,  intending,  my  dear  friend, 
intending,  upon  my  soul,  to  be  of  use  to  you.  Well,  if  you  will 
not  profit  by  my  good  will,  then  be  of  use  to  me;  and  as  soon  as 
ever  you  feel  ready,  go  to  the  Flying  Mercuiy  where  we  met  last 
night.  It  will  be  none  the  worse  for  you;  and  to  make  it  quite 
plain,  it  Avill  be  better  for  the  rest  of  us." 

"  Dear  madame,  certainly,"  said  Otto.  "If  I  am  prepared  for 
the  chief  evil,  I  shall  not  quarrel  with  details.  Go,  then,  with  my 
best  gratitude;  and  when  I  have  written  a  few  lines  of  leave-taking, 
I  shall  immediately  hasten  to  keep  tryst.  To-night,  I  shall  not  meet 
so  dangerous  a  cavalier,"  he  added,  with  a  smiling  gallantry. 

As  soon  as  Madame  von  Rosen  was  gone,  he  made  a  great  call 
upon  his  self-command.     He  was  face  to  face  with  a  miserable 


PRINCE    OTTO.  105 

passage  where,  if  it  were  possible,  he  desired  to  carrj'  himself  with 
dignity.  As  to  the  main  fact,  he  never  swerved  or  faltered;  he  had 
come  so  heart-sick  and  so  cruelly  humiliated  from  his  talk  with 
Gotthold,  that  he  embraced  the  notion  of  imprisonment  with 
something  bordering  on  joy.  Here  was,  at  least,  a  step  which  he 
thought  blameless;  here  was  a  way  from  out  his  troubles.  He  sat 
down  to  write  to  Seraphina;  and  his  anger  blazed.  The  tale  of  his 
forbearances  mounted,  in  his  ej'es,  to  something  monstrous;  still 
more  monstrous,  the  coldness,  egotism  and  cruelty,  that  had  re- 
quired and  thus  requited  them.  The  pen  which  he  had  taken 
trembled  in  his  hand.  He  was  amazed  to  find  his  resignation  tied, 
but  was  not  able  to  recall  it.  In  a  few  white-hot  words  he  bade 
adieu,  dubbed  desperation  by  the  name  of  love,  and  called  his  wrath 
forgiveness;  cast  but  one  look  of  leave-taking  upon  the  place  that 
was  no  longer  to  be  his;  and  hurried  forth — love's  prisoner — or 
pride's. 

He  took  the  private  passage,  trod  so  often  in  less  momentous 
hours.  The  porter  let  him  out;  and  the  bountiful,  cold  air  of  night 
and  the  pure  glory  of  the  stars  received  him  on  the  threshold.  He 
looked  around  him,  breathing  deep  of  earth's  plain  fragrance;  he 
looked  up  into  the  great  array  of  heaven,  and  was  quieted.  His 
little  turgid  life  dwindled  to  its  true  proportions;  he  saw  this  great, 
flame-hearted  martyr  stand  but  a  speck  in  that  cool  cupola  of  night; 
he  felt  his  cureless  injuries  already  soothed;  the  live  air  of  out-of- 
doors,  the  quiet  of  the  world,  as  if  by  their  silent  music,  sobered 
his  emotions. 

"  Well,  I  forgive  her,"  he  said.  "If  it  be  of  any  use  to  her,  I 
forgive." 

And  with  brisk  steps,  he  crossed  the  garden,  issued  upon  the 
park,  and  by  a  glimmering  alley,  came  at  last  to  where  the  Flying 
Mercury  stood  poised.  A  dark  figure  moved  forward  from  the 
shadow  of  the  pedestal. 

"  I  have  to  ask  yoiu-  pardon,  sir,"  a  voice  observed,  "  but  if  I 
am  right  in  taking  you  for  the  prince,  I  was  given  to  understand 
that  3^ou  would  be  prepared  to  meet  me." 

"  Herr  Gordon,  I  believe?"  said  Otto. 

"  Herr  Oberst  Gordon,"  replied  that  officer.  "  This  is  rather  a 
ticklish  business  for  a  man  to  be  embarked  in;  and  to  find  that  all 
is  to  go  pleasantly,  is  a  great  relief  to  me.  The  carriage  is  at  hand, 
shall  I  have  the  honor  of  following  your  highness?" 

"  Colonel,"  said  the  prince,  "  I  have  now  come  to  that  happj^  mo- 
ment of  my  life,  when  I  have  orders  to  receive  but  none  to  give." 


106  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  A  most  philosophical  remark!"  returned  the  colonel  "  Begad, 
a  very  pertinent  remark!  it  might  be  Plutarch.  I  am  not  a  drop's 
blood  to  your  highness  or  indeed  to  any  one  in  this  principality;  or 
else  I  should  dislike  my  orders.  But  as  it  is,  and  since  there  is 
nothing  unnatural  or  unbecoming  on  my  side,  and  your  highness 
takes  it  in  good  part,  I  begin  to  believe  we  may  have  a  capital  time 
together,  sir— a  capital  time.  For  a  jailer  is  only  a  fellow  captive." 

"  May  I  inquire,  Herr  Gordon,"  asked  Otto,  "  what  led  you  to 
accept  this  dangerous  and  I  would  fain  hope  thankless  office?" 

"  Very  natural,  I  am  sure,"  replied  the  officer  of  fortune.  "  My 
pay  is,  in  the  meanwhile,  doubled." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  will  not  presume  to  criticise,"  returned  the  prince. 
"  And  I  perceive  the  carriage." 

Sure  enough,  at  the  intersection  of  two  alleys  of  the  park,  a 
coach  and  four,  conspicuous  by  its  lanterns,  stood  in  waiting. 
And  a  little  way  off  about  a  score  of  lancers  were  drawn  up  under 
the  shadow  of  the  trees. 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

PROVIDENCE  VON     ROSEN. — ACT     THE     THIRD. — SHE     ENLIGHTENS 
SERAPHINA. 

When  INIadame  von  Rosen  left  the  prince,  she  hurried  straight  to 
Colonel  Gordon;  and  not  content  with  directing  the  arrangements, 
she  had  herself  accompanied  the  soldier  of  fortune  to  the  Flying 
IMercurj'.  The  colonel  gave  her  his  ami,  and_  the  talk  between  this 
pair  of  couspiratoi-s  ran  high  and  lively.  The  countess,  indeed,  was 
in  a  whirl  of  pleasure  and  excitement;  her  tongue  stumbled  upon 
laughter,  her  eyes  shone,  the  color  that  was  usually  wanting  now 
perfected  her  face.  It  would  have  taken  little  more  to  bring  Gor- 
don to  her  feet — or  so,  at  least,  she  thought,  disdaining  the  idea. 

Hid  in  some  lilac  bushes,  she  enjoyed  the  great  decorum  of  the 
arrest,  and  heard  the  dialogue  of  the  two  men  die  away  along  the 
path.  Soon  after  the  rolling  of  a  carriage  and  the  beat  of  hoofs 
arose  in  the  still  air  of  night,  and  passed  speedily  further  and 
fainter  into  silence.     The  prince  was  gone. 

Madame  von  Rosen  consulted  her  watch.  She  had  still,  she 
thought,  time  enough  for  the  tit-bit  of  her  evening;  and  hurrying 
to  the  palace,  winged  by  the  fear  of  Gondremark's  arrival,  she  sent 
her  name  and  a  pressing  request  for  a  reception  to  the  Princess 


PRINCE    OTTO.  107 

Seraphina.  As  the  Countess  von  Rosen  undisguised,  she  was  secure 
of  a  refusal ;  but  as  an  emissary  of  the  baron's,  for  so  she  chose  to 
style  herself,  she  gained  immediate  entry. 

The  princess  sat  alone  at  fable,  maldng  a  feint  of  dining.  ITer 
cheeks  were  mottled,  her  eyes  heavy;  she  had  neither  slept  nor 
eaten ;  even  her  dress  had  been  neglected.  In  short,  she  was  out 
of  health,  out  of  looks,  out  of  heart,  and  hag-rid  by  her  conscience. 
The  countess  drew  a  swift  comparison,  and  shone  brighter  still  in 
beauty. 

"  You  come,  madame,  de  la  part  de  Monsieur  le  Baron,'' 
drawled  the  princess.     "  Be  seated!    What  have  you  to  say?" 

"To  say?"  repeated  Madame  von  Rosen.  "Oh,  much  to  sayl 
Much  to  say,  that  I  would  rather  not,  and  much  to  leave  unsaid 
that  I  would  rather  say.  For  I  am  like  St.  Paul,  your  highness, 
and  always  wish  to  do  the  things  I  should  not.  Well!  to  be  categor- 
ical— that  is  the  word? — I  took  the  prince  your  order.  He  cou7d 
not  credit  his  senses.  '  Ah,'  he  cried,  '  dear  Madame  von  Rosen,  it 
is  not  possible — it  can  not  be — I  must  hear  it  from  your  lips.  My 
wife  is  a  poor  girl  misled,  she  is  only  silly,  she  is  not  cruel.'  '  Mon 
Prince,'  said  I,  '  a  girl — and  therefore  cruel;  youth  kills  flies.'  He 
had  such  pain  to  understand  it!" 

"  Madame  von  Rosen,"  said  the  princess,  in  most  steadfast  tones 
but  with  a  rose  of  anger  in  her  face,  ' '  who  sent  you  here,  and  for 
what  purpose?  Tell  yoiu-  errand.  Hitherto  you  have  but  tried 
my  patience. ' ' 

"  Oh,  madame,  I  believe  you  understand  me  very  well,"  returned 
Von  Rosen.  "  I  have  not  your  philosophy.  I  wear  my  heart  upon 
my  sleeve,  excuse  the  indecency!  It  is  a  very  little  one,"  she 
laughed,  "  and  I  so  often  change  the  sleeve!" 

"Am  I  to  understand  the  prince  has  been  arrested?"  asked  the 
princess,  rising. 

"  While  you  sat  there  dining!"  crifd  the  coimtess,  still  nonchg- 
lantly  seated. 

"  You  have  discharged  your  errand,"  was  the  reply,  "  I  will  no# 
detain  you." 

"  Oh,  no,  madame,"  said  the  countess,  "  with  your  permission,  I 
have  not  yet  done.  I  have  borne  much  this  evening  in  your  serv- 
ice. I  have  suffered.  I  was  made  to  suffer  in  your  service."  She 
unfolded,  as  she  spoke,  her  fan.  Quick  as  her  pulses  beat,  the  fan 
waved  languidly.  It  was  in  her  bright  face  and  eyes,  and  her  tri- 
umphant beauty,  looking  down,  mile  deep,  upon  her  rival,  that  the 
thrill  of  her  emotion  stood  confessed. 


108  PRINCE    OTTO. 

•'  You  are  no  servant,  Madame  von  Rosen,  of  mine,"  said  Sera 
pliina. 

"No,  madame,  indeed,"  returned  the  countess;  "but  we  both 
serve  the  same  person,  as  you  know — or  if  you  do  not,  then  1  have 
the  pleasure  of  informing  you.  Your  conduct  is  so  light — so  lighl," 
she  repealed,  the  fan  wavering  higher  like  a  butterfly,  "that  per- 
haps you  do  not  truly  understand. "  The  countess  rolled  her  fan 
together,  laid  it  in  her  lap,  and  rose  to  a  less  languorous  position. 
"Indeed,"  she  continued,  "I  should  be  sorry  to  see  any  young 
woman  in  your  situation.  You  began  with  every  advantage,  birth, 
a  suitable  marriage — quite  pretty  too — and  see  what  you  have  come 
to!  My  poor  girl,  to  think  of  it!  But  there  is  nothing  that  does 
so  much  harm, ' '  observed  the  countess  finely,  ' '  as  giddiness  of 
mind."  And  she  once  more  unfurled  the  fan,  and  fanned  herself 
approvingly. 

"I  will  no  longer  permit  you  to  forget  yourself,"  cried  Sera- 
phina.     "  What  have  you  been  doing?     You  are  mad,  I  think." 

"  Not  mad,"  returned  Von  Rosen.  "  Sane  enough  to  know  you 
dare  not  break  with  me  to-night,  and  to  profit  by  the  knowledge. 
I  left  my  poor,  pretty  Prince  Charming  crying  his  eyes  out  for  a 
wooden  doll.  My  heart  is  soft;  I  love  my  pretty  prince;  you  Avill 
never  understand  it,  but  1  long  to  give  my  prince  his  doll,  dry  his 
poor  eyes,  and  send  him  happy  with  a  kiss.  Oh,  you  immature 
fool!"  the  countess  cried,  rose  to  her  feet,  and  pointed  at  the  prin- 
cess the  closed  fan  that  now  began  to  tremble  in  her  hand.  ' '  Oh 
wooden  doll!"  she  cried,  "  have  you  a  heart,  or  blood,  or  any  nat- 
ure? This  is  a  man,  child — a  man  who  loves  you.  Oh,  it  will 
not  happen  twice!  it  is  not  common;  beautiful  and  clever  women 
look  in  vain  for  it.  And  you,  you  pitiful  school-girl,  tread  this 
jewel  underfoot!  you,  stupid  with  your  vanity!  Before  you  try  to 
govern  kingdoms,  you  should  first  be  able  to  behave  yourself  at 
home;  home  is  the  woman's  kingdom."  She  paused  and  laughed  a 
little,  strangely  to  hear  and  look  upon.  ' '  I  will  tell  you  one  of  the 
things,"  she  said,  "that  were  to  stay  unspoken.  Von  Rosen  is  a 
better  woman  than  you,  my  princess,  though  you  will  never  have 
the  pain  of  understanding  it;  and  when  I  took  the  prince  your 
order,  and  looked  upon  his  face,  my  soul  was  melted — oh,  I  am 
frank — here,  within  my  arms,  I  offered  him  repose!"  She  advanced 
a  step  superbly  as  she  spoke,  with  outstretched  arms;  and  Seraphina 
shrunk.  "Do  not  be  alarmed!"  the  countess  cried;  "I  am  not 
offering  that  hermitage  to  you;  in  all  the  world  there  is  but  one 
who  wants  to,  and  him  you  have  dismissed!     '  If  it  will  give  her 


PRINCE    OTTO.  109 

pleasure  I  should  wear  the  martyr's  crown, '  lie  cried,  '  I  will  em- 
brace the  thorns. '  I  tell  you — I  am  quite  frank — I  put  the  order  in 
his  power  and  begged  him  to  resist.  You,  who  have  betrayed  your 
husband,  may  betray  me  to  Gondremark;  my  prince  would  betray 
no  one.  Understand  it  plainly,"  she  cried,  " 'tis  of  his  pure  for- 
bearance 3'ou  sit  there;  he  had  the  power — I  gave  it  him — to  change 
the  parts;  and  he  refused,  and  went  to  prison  in  your  place." 

The  princess  spoke  with  some  distress.  "  Your  violence  shocks 
me  and  pains  me,"  she  began,  "  but  I  can  not  be  angry  with  what 
at  least  does  honor  to  the  mistaken  kindness  of  your  heart:  it  was 
right  for  me  to  know  this.  I  will  condescend  to  tell  you.  It  was 
with  deep  regret  that  I  Avas  driven  to  this  step.  I  admit  in  many 
ways  the  prince — 1  admit  his  amiability.  It  was  our  great  misfort- 
une, it  was,  perhaps,  somewhat  of  my  fault,  that  we  were  so  un- 
suited  to  each  other;  but  I  have  a  regard,  a  real  regard,  for  all  his 
qualities.  As  a  private  person  I  should  think  as  you  do.  It  is  diffi- 
cult, I  know,  to  make  allowances  for  state  considerations.  I  have 
only  with  sincere  reluctance  obeyed  the  call  of  a  superior  duty; 
and  so  soon  as  I  dare  do  it  for  the  safety  of  the  state,  I  promise  you 
the  prince  shall  be  released.  Many,  in  my  situation,  would  have 
resented  your  freedoms.  I  am  not — "  and  she  looked  for  a  mo- 
jnent  rather  piteously  upon  the  countess,  "I  am  not  altogether  so 
inhuman  as  you  think. ' ' 

"And  you  can  put  these  troubles  of  the  state,"  the  countess 
cried,  "  to  weigh  with  a  man's  love?" 

"  Madame  von  Rosen,  these  troubles  are  affairs  of  life  and  death 
to  many;  to  the  prince,  and  perhaps  even  to  yourself,  among  the 
number,"  replied  the  princess  with  dignity,  "I  have  learned, 
inadame,  although  still  so  young,  in  a  hard  school,  that  my  own 
feelings  must  everywhere  come  last. ' ' 

"  Oh,  callow  innocence!"  exclaimed  the  other.  "  Is  it  possible 
you  do  not  know,  or  not  suspect,  the  intrigue  in  which  you  move? 
I  find  it  in  my  heart  to  pity  j^ou!  We  are  both  women  after  all — 
poor  girl,  poor  girl!  and  who  is  born  a  woman  is  born  a  fool.  And 
though  I  hate  all  women — come,  for  the  common  folly,  I  forgive 
you.  Your  highness  " — she  dropped  a  deep  stage  courtesy  and  re- 
sumed her  fan — "  I  am  going  to  insult  you,  to  betray  one  who  is 
called  my  lover,  and  if  you  please  to  use  the  power,  to  ruin  my 
dear  self.  Oh,  what  a  French  comedy!  Y^'ou  betray,  I  betray, 
they  betray.  It  is  now  my  cue.  The  letter,  yes.  Behold  the  letter, 
raadame,  its  seal  unbroken  as  I  found  it  by  my  bed  this  morning; 
for  I  was  out  of  humor,  and  I  get  many,  too  many  of  these  favors. 


110  PEINCE    OTTO. 

For  your  own  sake,  for  the  sake  of  my  Prince  Charming,  for  the 
sake  of  this  great  principality  that  sits  so  heavy  on  your  conscience, 
open  it  and  read!" 

' '  Am  I  to  understand, ' '  inquired  the  princess,  ' '  tliat  this  letter 
in  any  way  regards  me?" 

"  You  see  I  have  not  opened  it,"  replied  Von  Rosen;  "  but  'tis 
mine,  and  I  beg  you  to  experiment. ' ' 

' '  I  can  not  look  at  it  till  you  have, ' '  returned  Seraphina  very 
seriously.  "  There  may  be  matter  there  not  fit  for  me  to  see;  it  is 
a  private  letter." 

The  countess  tore  it  open,  glanced  it  through,  and  tossed  it  back; 
and  the  princess,  taking  up  the  sheet,  recognized  the  hand  of  Gon- 
dremark  and  read  with  a  sickening  shock  the  following  lines; 

"  Dearest  Anna,  come  at  once.  Ratafia  has  done  the  deed,  her 
husband  to  be  packed  to  prison.  This  puts  the  minx  entirely  in 
my  power;  le  tour  es>tjoue  ;  she  will  now  go  steady  in  harness  or  I 
will  know  the  reason  why.     Come. 

"Heinrich." 

"  Command  yourself ,  madame,"  said  the  countess,  watching  with 
some  alarm  the  white  face  of  Seraphina.  "  It  is  in  vain  for  you  to 
fight  with  Gondremark:  he  has  more  strings  than  mere  court  favor, 
and  could  bring  you  down  to-morrow  with  a  word.  I  would  not 
have  betrayed  him  otherwise;  but  Heinrich  is  a  man,  and  plays 
with  all  of  you  like  marionettes.  And  now  at  least  you  see  for 
what  you  sacrificed  my  prince.  Madame,  will  you  take  some  wine? 
I  have  been  cruel." 

"  Not  cruel,  madame — salutary,"  said  Seraphina,  with  a  phan- 
tom smile.  "  No,  I  thank  you,  I  require  no  attentions.  The  first 
sui-prise  affected  me;  will  you  give  me  time  a  little?  I  must  think." 

She  took  her  head  in  both  her  hands,  and  contemplated  for  a 
while  the  hurricane  confusion  of  her  thoughts. 

"  This  information  reaches  me,"  she  said,  "  when  I  have  need  of 
it.  I  would  not  do  as  you  have  done,  but  yet  I  thank  you.  I  have 
been  much  deceived  in  Baron  Gondremark. ' ' 

"  Oh  madame,  leave  Gondremark  and  think  upon  the  prince!" 
cried  Von  Rosen. 

"You  speak  once  more  as  a  private  person,"  said  the  princess; 
"  nor  do  I  blame  you.  But  my  own  thoughts  are  more  distracted. 
However,  as  1  believe  you  are  truly  a  friend  to  my — to  the — as  I  be- 
lieve," she  said,  "  you  are  a  friend  to  Otto,  I  shall  put  the  order  for 
his  release  into  your  hands  this  moment.  Give  me  the  ink-dish. 
There!"     And  she  wrote  hastily,  steadying  her  arm  upon  the  table, 


PRIKCE    OTTO  111 

for  she  tremblerl  like  a  rccd.  "Remember,  madame,"  she  re- 
sumed, handing  her  the  order,  "  this  must  not  be  used  nor  spoken 
of  at  present;  till  I  have  seen  the  baron,  I  perceive  that  any  hur- 
ried step — Ilosemj'sclf  in  tl. inking.  The  suddenness  has  sliaken 
me." 

"  I  promise  j'ou  I  will  not  use  it,"  said  the  countess,  "  till  you 
give  me  leave.  Althoue,-h  I  wish  the  prince  could  be  informed  of  it, 
to  comfort  his  poor  heart.  And  oh,  I  had  forgotten,  he  has  left  a 
letter.  Suffer  me,  madame;  I  will  bring  it  you.  This  is  the  door 
I  think?"     And  she  sought  to  open  it. 

"  The  bolt  is  pushed,"  said  Seraphina  flushing. 

"Oh!  oh!"  cried  the  countess. 

A  silence  fell  between  them. 

"I  will  get  it  for  myself,"  said  Seraphina,  "  and  in  the  mean- 
while I  beg  of  you  to  leave  me.  I  thank  you,  I  am  sure-,  but  I  will 
be  obliged  if  you  will  leave  me. ' ' 

The  countess  deeply  courtesied  and  withdrew. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

RELATES  THE  CAUSE  AND  OUTBREAK  OP  THE  REVOLUTION. 

Brave  as  she  was,  and  brave  by  intellect,  the  princess, when  first 
she  was  alone,  clung  to  the  table  for  support.  The  four  corners  of 
her  universe  had  fallen.  She  had  never  liked  nor  trusted  Gondre- 
mark  completely;  she  had  still  held  it  possible  to  find  him  false  to 
friendship;  but  from  that  to  finding  him  devoid  of  all  those  public 
virtues  for  which  she  had  honored  him,  a  mere  commonplace  in- 
triguer, using  her  for  his  own  ends,  the  step  was  wide  and  the  de- 
scent giddy.  Light  and  darkness  succeeded  each  other  in  her  brain ; 
now  she  believed,  and  now  she  could  not.  She  turned,  blindly 
groping  for  the  note.  But  Von  Rosen,  who  had  not  forgotten  to 
take  the  warrant  from  the  prince,  had  remembered  to  recover  her 
note  from  the  princess :  Von  Rosen  was  an  old  campaigner,  whose 
most  violent  emotion  aroused  rather  than  clouded  the  vi^or  of  her 
reason. 

The  thought  recalled  to  Seraphina  the  remembrance  of  the  other 
letter — Otto's.  She  rose  and  went  speedily,  her  brain  still  wheeling, 
and  burst  into  the  prince's  armory.  The  old  chamberlain  was 
there  in  waiting;  and  the  sight  of  another  face,  prying  (or  so  she 
felt)  on  her  distress,  struck  Seraphina  into  childish  anger. 


113  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  Go!"  she  cried;  and  then,  when  the  old  man  was  abeady  half 
way  to  the  door,  "  Stay!"  she  added.  "  As  soon  as  Baron  Gondre- 
mark  arrives,  let  him  attend  me  here." 

' '  It  shall  he  so  directed, ' '  said  the  chamberlain. 

"  There  was  a  letter — "  she  began,  and  paused. 

"Her  highness,"  said  the  chamberlain,  "will  find  a  letter  on 
the  table.  I  had  received  no  orders,  or  her  highness  had  been 
spared  this  trouble." 

' '  No,  no,  no, ' '  she  cried.     ' '  I  thank  you.  I  desire  to  be  alone. ' ' 

And  then,  when  he  was  gone,  she  leaped  upon  the  letter.  Her 
mind  was  still  obscured;  like  the  moon  upon  a  night  of  clouds  and 
wind,  her  reason  shone  and  darkened,  and  she  read  the  words  by 
flashes. 

"  Seraphina,"  the  prince  wrote,  "  I  will  write  no  syllable  of  re- 
proach. I  have  seen  your  order  and  I  go.  What  else  is  left  me? 
I  have  wasted  my  love  and  have  no  more.  To  say  that  I  forgive 
you  is  not  needful;  at  least,  we  are  now  separate  forever;  by  your 
own  act,  you  free  me  from  my  willing  bondage;  I  go  free  to  prison. 
This  is  the  last  that  you  will  hear  of  me  in  love  or  anger.  I  have 
gone  out  of  your  life;  you  may  breathe  easy;  you  have  now  rid 
yourself  of  the  husband  who  allowed  j'ou  to  desert  him,  of  the 
prince  who  gave  you  his  rights,  and  of  the  married  lover  who  made 
it  his  pride  to  defend  you  in  your  absence.  How  you  have  requited 
him,  your  own  heart  more  loudly  tells  j'ou  1  ban  my  words.  There 
is  a  day  coming  when  your  vain  dreams  will  roll  away  like  clouds, 
and  you  will  find  yourself  alone.     Then  you  will  remember 

"  Otto." 

She  read  with  a  great  horror  on  her  mind:  Ihat  day,  of  which  he 
wrote,  was  come.  She  was  alone;  she  had  been  false,  she  had  been 
cruel;  remorse  rolled  in  upon  her;  and  then  with  a  more  piercing 
note,  vanity,  bounded  on  the  stage  of  consciousness.  She  a  dupe! 
she  helpless!  she  to  have  betrayed  herself  in  seeking  to  betray  her 
husband !  she  to  have  lived  these  years  upon  flattery,  grossly  swal- 
lowing the  bolus,  like  a  clown  with  sharpers!  she — Seraphina!  Her 
swift  mind  drank  the  consequences;  she  foresaw  the  coming  fall, 
her  public  shame;  she  saw  the  odium,  disgrace,  and  folly  of  her 
story  flaunt  through  Europe.  She  recalled  the  scandal  she  had  so 
royally  braved;  and  alas!  how  differently  in  that  hour  it  scowled 
upon  her!  She  to  be  thought  the  mistress  of  that  man:  perhaps 
for  that.  She  closed  her  eyes  on  agonizing  vistas.  Swift  as  thought 
she  was  beside  the  wall,  a  dagger  glittering  in  her  hand.  Ay,  she 
would  escape.  From  that  world  wide  theater  of  nodding  heads  and 
buzzing  whisperers,  in  which  she  now  beheld  herself  unpitiably 


PRINCE    OTTO.  113 

martyred,  one  door  stood  open.  At  any  cost,  through  any  stress  of 
suffering,  that  greasy  laughter  should  be  stifled.  She  closed  her 
eyes;  she  breathed  a  wordless  prayer,  and  pressed  the  weapon  to  her 
bosom. 

At  the  surprising  sharpness  of  the  prick,  she  gave  a  cry  and 
awoke  to  the  sense  of  a  miraculous  escape.  A  little  ruby  spot  of 
blood  was  the  reward  of  that  great  act  of  desperation;  but  the  pain 
had  braced  her  like  a  tonic,  and  her  whole  design  of  suicide  had 
passed  away. 

At  the  same  instant,  regular  feet  drew  near  along  Ihe  gallery, 
and  she  knew  the  tread  of  the  big  baron,  so  often  gladly  welcome, 
and  even  now  rallying  her  spirits  like  a  call  to  battle.  She  con- 
cealed the  dagger  in  the  folds  of  her  skirt;  and  drawing  her  stat- 
ure up,  she  stood  firm-footed,  radiant  with  anger,  waiting  for  the 
foe. 

The  baron  was  announced  and  entered.  To  him,  Seraphina  was 
a  hated  task;  like  the  school-boy  with  his  Virgil,  he  had  neither  will 
nor  leisure  to  remark  her  beauties;  but  when  he  now  beheld  her 
standing  illuminated  by  her  passion,  new  feelings  flashed  upon 
him,  a  frank  admiration,  a  brief  sparkle  of  desire.  He  noted  both 
with  joy;  they  were  means.  "  If  I  have  to  play  the  lover,"  thought 
he,  for  that  was  his  constant  preoccupation,  "  I  believe  I  can  put 
soul  into  it."  Meanwhile,  with  his  usual  ponderous  grace,  he  bent 
before  the  lady. 

"  I  propose,"  she  said,  in  a  strange  voice,  not  known  to  her  till 
then,  "  that  we  release  the  prince  and  do  not  prosecute  the  war." 

"  Ah,  madame,"  he  replied,  "  't  is  as  I  knew  it  would  be!  Your 
heart  I  knew  would  wound  you,  when  we  came  to  this  distasteful 
but  most  necessary  step.  Ah,  madame,  believe  me,  I  am  not 
unwor'Jiy  to  be  your  ally;  I  know  you  have  qualities  to  which  I 
am  a  stranger,  and  count  them  the  best  weapons  in  the  armorj^  of 
our  alliance.  The  girl  is  the  queen — pity,  love,  tenderness,  laugh- 
ter; the  smile  that  can  reward.  I  can  only  command;  I  am  the 
frowner.  But  you!  And  you  have  the  fortitude  to  command 
these  comely  weaknesses,  to  tread  them  down  at  the  appeal  of 
reason.  How  often  have  I  not  admired  it  even  to  yourself.  Ay, 
even  to  j-ourself,"  he  added  tenderh^  dwelling,  it  seemed,  in  mem- 
ory on  hours  of  a  more  private  admiration.  "  But  now,  madame — " 

"  But  now,  Herr  Gondremark,  the  time  for  these  declarations  ha* 
gone  by, "  she  cried.  "  Are  you  true  to  me?  are  you  false?  Look 
in  your  heart  and  answer,  it  is  your  heart  I  want  to  know." 

"It  has  come,"  thought  Gondremark.     "You,  madame!"    he 


114  PETKCE    OTTO. 

cried,  starting  back — with  fear,  you  would  have  said,  and  yet  a 
timid  joy.     "  You!  yourself,  you  bid  me  look  into  my  heart?" 

"Do  you  suppose  I  fear?"  she  cried,  and  looked  at  him  with 
such  a  heightened  color,  such  bright  eyes,  and  a  smile  of  so  abstruse 
a  meaning,  that  the  baron  cast  aside  his  latest  doubt. 

"  Ah,  madame!"  he  cried,  plumping  on  his  knees.  "  Seraphina! 
Do  you  permit  me?  have  you  divined  my  secret?  It  is  true — I  put 
my  life  with  joy  into  your  power — I  love  you,  love  with  ardor,  as 
an  equal,  as  a  master,  as  a  brother-in-arms,  as  an  adored,  desired, 
sweet-hearted  woman.  O,  Bride!"  he  cried,  waxing  dithyrambic, 
"  bride  of  my  reason  and  my  senses,  have  pity,  have  pity  on  my 
love!" 

She  heard  him  with  wonder,  rage,  and  then  contempt.  His  very 
words  offended  her  to  sickness;  his  appearance,  as  he  groveled  bulk- 
ily  upon  the  floor,  moved  her  to  such  laughter  as  we  laugh  in  night- 
mares. 

"Oh,  shame!"  she  cried.  "Absurd  and  odious!  What  would 
the  countess  say?" 

That  great  Baron  Gondremark,  the  excellent  politician,  remained 
for  some  little  time  upon  his  knees  in  a  frame  of  mind  which  per- 
haps we  are  allowed  to  pity.  His  vanity,  within  his  iron  bosom, 
bled  and  raved.  If  he  could  have  blotted  all,  if  he  could  have 
withdrawn  part,  if  he  had  not  called  her  bride — with  a  roaring  in 
his  ears,  he  thus  regretfully  reviewed  his  declaration.  He  got  to 
his  feet  tottering;  and  then,  in  that  first  moment  when  a  dumb 
agony  finds  a  vent  in  words,  and  the  tongue  betrays  the  inmost  and 
worst  of  a  man,  he  permitted  himself  a  retort  which,  for  six  weeks 
to  follow,  he  was  to  repent  at  leisure. 

"Ah,"  said  he,  "the  countess?  Now  I  perceive  the  reason  of 
your  bigness' s  disorder." 

The  lackey-like  insolence  of  the  words  was  driven  home  by  a 
more  insolent  manner.  There  fell  upon  Seraphina  one  of  those 
storm-clouds  which  had  already  blackened  upon  her  reason;  she 
heard  herself  cry  out;  and  when  the  cloud  dispersed,  flung  the 
blood-stained  dagger  on  the  floor,  and  saw  Gondremark  reeling 
back  with  open  mouth,  and  clapping  his  hand  upon  the  wound. 
The  next  moment,  with  oaths  that  she  had  never  heard,  he  leaped 
at  her  in  savage  passion;  clutched  her  as  she  recoiled;  and  in  the 
very  act,  stumbled  and  drooped.  _  She  had  scarce  time  to  fear  his 
murderous  onslaught,  ere  he  fell  before  her  feet. 

He  rose  upon  one  elbow;  she  still  staring  upon  him,  white  with 
horror 


PRINCE    OTTO.  115 

'"Anna!"  he  cried,  "Anna!  help!" 

And  then  his  utterance  failed  him,  and  he  fell  back,  to  all  ap- 
pearance dead. 

Seraphina  ran  to  and  fro  in  the  room;  she  wrung  her  hands  and 
cried  aloud;  within  she  was  all  one  uproar  of  terror,  and  conscious 
of  no  articulate  wish  but  to  awake. 

There  came  a  knocking  at  the  door;  and  she  sprung  to  it  and 
held  it,  panting  like  a  beast,  the  strength  of  madness  in  her  arms, 
till  she  had  pushed  the  bolt.  At  this  success  a  certain  calm  fell 
upon  her  reason.  She  went  back  and  looked  upon  her  victim,  the 
knocking  growing  louder.  Oh,  yes,,  he  was  dead!  She  had  killed 
him.  He  had  called  upon  Von  Rosen  with  his  latest  breath;  ah,  who 
would  call  on  Seraphina?  She  had  killed  him.  She,  whose  irreso- 
lute hand  could  scarce  prick  blood  from  her  own  bosom,  had  found 
strength  to  cast  down  that  great  colossus  at  a  blow. 

All  this  while,  the  knocking  was  growing  more  uproarious  and 
more  unlike  the  staid  career  of  life  in  such  a  palace.  Scandal  was 
at  the  door,  with  what  a  fatal  following  she  dreaded  to  conceive; 
and  at  the  same  time  among  the  voices  that  began  to  summon  her 
by  name,  she  recognized  the  chancellor's.  He  or  another,  some- 
body must  be  the  first. 

"  Is  Herr  von  Greisengesang  without?"  she  called. 

"Your  highness — yes!"  the  old  gentleman  answered.  "We 
have  heard  cries,  a  fall.     Is  anything  amiss?" 

"Nothing,"  replied  Seraphina.  "I  desire  to  speak  with  you. 
Send  off  the  rest."  She  panted  between  each  phrase;  but  her  mind 
was  clear.  She  let  the  looped  curtain  down  upon  both  sides  before 
she  drew  the  bolt;  and  thus  secure  from  any  sudden  eyeshot  from 
without,  admitted  the  obsequious  chancellor  and  again  made  fast 
the  door. 

Greisengesang  clumsily  revolved  among  the  wings  of  the  curtain; 
so  that  she  was  clear  of  it  as  soon  as  he. 
"  My  God!"  he  cried.     "  The  baron!" 
"  I  have  killed  him,"  she  said.     "  Oh,  killed  him!" 
"  Dear  me,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  this  is  most  unprecedented. 
Lovers'  quarrels,"  he  added  ruefully,  "  redintegratio — "  and  then 
paused.     "But,  my  dear  madame,"  he  broke  out  again,  "  in  the 
name  of  all  that  is  practical,  what  are  we  to  do?     This  is  exceed- 
ingly grave;  morallj%  madame,  it  is  appalling.     I  take  the  liberty, 
your  highness,  for  one  moment,  of  addressing  you  as  a  daughter,  a 
loved  although  respected  daughter;  and  I  must  say  that  I  can  not 


116  PEINCE    OTTO. 

conceal  from  you  that  this  is  morally  most  questionable.  And,  oh 
dear  me,  we  have  a  dead  body!" 

She  had  watched  him  closely;  hope  fell  to  contempt;  from  his 
despicable  weakness,  she  drew  away  her  skirts  and,  in  the  act, 
found  strength.  "See  if  he  be  dead,"  she  said;  not  one  word  of 
explanation  or  defense;  before  so  poor  a  creature,  she  had  scorned 
to  justify  herself:  "  See  if  he  be  dead,"  was  all. 

With  the  greatest  compunction,  the  chancellor  drew  near;  and  as 
he  did  so,  the  wounded  baron  rolled  his  eyes. 

"He  lives,"  cried  the  old  courtier,  turning  effusively  to  Sera- 
phina.     ''  Madame,  he  still  lives." 

"  Help  him,  then,"  returned  the  princess,  standing  fixed.  "  Bind 
up  his  wound. ' ' 

"  Madame,  I  have  no  means,"  protested  the  chancellor. 

"  Can  you  not  take  your  handkerchief,  your  neckcloth,  any- 
thing?" she  cried;  and  at  the  same  moment,  from  her  light  muslin 
gown,  she  rent  off  a  flounce  and  tossed  it  on  the  floor.  "  Take 
that,"  she  said,  and  stood  upright  in  her  ruined  finery. 

But  the  chancellor  held  up  his  hands  and  turned  away  his  head 
in  agony.  The  grasp  of  the  falling  baron  had  torn  down  the 
dainty  fabric  of  the  bodice;  and — "Oh  highness!"  cried  Greisen- 
gesang  appalled,  "  the  terrible  disorder  of  your  toilet!" 

' '  Take  up  that  flounce, ' '  she  said,  ' '  the  man  may  die. ' ' 

Greisengesang  turned  in  a  flutter  to  the  baron,  and  attempted 
some  innocent  and  bungling  measures.  "He  still  breathes,"  he 
kept  saying.     "  All  is  not  yet  over;  he  is  not  yet  gone." 

' '  And  now, ' '  said  she,  '  if  that  is  all  that  you  can  do,  begone 
and  get  some  porters;  he  must  instantly  go  home." 

' '  Madame, ' '  cried  the  chancellor,  ' '  if  this  most  melancholy  sight 
were  seen  In  town — oh,  dear,  the  State  would  fall!"  he  piped. 

' '  There  is  a  litter  in  the  palace, ' '  she  replied.  "  It  is  your  part 
to  see  him  safe.  I  lay  commands  upon  you.  On  your  life  it  stands. " 

"  I  see  it,  dear  highness,"  he  jerked.  "  Clearly  I  see  it.  But 
how?  what  men?  The  prince's  servants — yes.  They  had  a  per- 
sonal affection.     They  will  be  true,  if  any." 

"  Oh,  not  them!"  she  cried      "  Take  Sabra,  my  own  man." 

"  Sabra!  The  grand-mason!"  returned  the  chancellor  aghast. 
"  If  he  but  saw  this,  he  would  sound  the  tocsin — we  should  all  be 
butchered." 

She  measured  the  depth  of  her  abasement  steadily.  "  Take 
whom  you  must,"  she  said,  "  and  bring  the  litter  here." 

Once  she  was  alone,  she  ran  to  the  baron,  and  with  a  sickening 


PRINCE    OTTO.  117 

heart  sought  to  allay  the  flux  of  blood.  The  touch  of  the  skin  of 
that  great  charlatan  revolted  her  to  the  toes;  the  wound  in  her  ig- 
norant eyes  looked  deathly;  yet  she  contended  with  her  shuddering, 
and  with  more  skill  at  least  than  the  chancellor's,  stanched  Ihe 
welling  injury.  An  eye  unprejudiced  with  hate  would  have  ad- 
mired the  baron  in  his  swoon;  he  looked  so  great  and  shapely;  it 
was  so  powerful  a  machine  that  lay  arrested;  and  his  features, 
cleared  for  the  moment  both  of  temper  and  dissimulation,  were  seen 
to  be  so  purely  modeled.  But  it  was  not  thus  with  Seraphina. 
Her  victim,  as  he  lay  outspread,  twitching  a  a  little,  his  big  chest  un- 
bared fixed  her  with  his  ugliness;  and  her  mind  flitted  for  a  glimpse 
^,0  Otto. 

Rumors  began  to  sound  about  the  palace  of  feet  running  and  of 
voices  raised;  the  echoes  of  the  great  arched  staircase  were  voluble 
of  some  confusion;  and  then  the  gallery  jarred  with  a  quick  and 
heavy  tramp.  It  was  the  chancellor,  followed  by  four  of  Otto's  val- 
ets and  a  litter.  The  servants,  when  they  were  admitted,  stared  at 
ihe  disheveled  princess  and  the  wounded  man;  speech  was  denied 
them,  but  their  thoughts  were  riddled  with  profanity.  Gondre- 
mark  was  bundled  in;  and  with  the  curtains  lowered,  the  four 
bearers  carried  forth  the  litter,  and  the  twittering  chancellor  fol- 
lowed with  a  white  face  behind. 

Seraphina  ran  to  the  window.  Pressing  her  face  upon  the  pane, 
she  could  see  the  terrace,  where  the  lights  contested;  thence,  the 
avenue  of  lamps  that  joined  the  palace  and  town;  and  overhead  the 
hollow  night  and  the  larger  stars.  Presently  the  small  procession 
issued  from  the  palace,  crossed  the  parade,  and  began  to  thread  the 
glittering  alley :  the  swinging  couch  with  its  four  porters,  the  much- 
pondering  chancellor  behind.  She  walched  them  dwindle  with 
strange  Ihougbts:  her  eyes  flxed  upon  the  scene,  her  mind  still, 
glancing  right  and  left  on  the  overthrow  of  her  life  and  hopes. 
There  was  no  one  left  in  whom  she  might  confide;  none  whose  hand 
was  friendly,  or  on  whom  she  dared  to  reckon  for  the  barest  loy- 
alty. With  the  fall  of  Gondremark,  her  party,  her  brief  popular- 
ity, had  fallen.  So  she  sat  crouched  upon  the  window-seat,  her 
brow  to  the  cool  pane;  her  dress,  in  tatters,  barely  shielding  her; 
her  mind  revolving  bitter  thoughts. 

Meanwhile  consequences  were  fast  mounting;  and  in  the  decep- 
tive quiet  of  the  night,  downfall  and  red  revolt  were  brev^ing.  The 
litter  had  passed  forth  between  the  iron  gates  and  entered  on  the 
streets  of  the  town.  By  what  flying  panic,  by  what  thrill  of  air 
communicated,  who  shall  say?  but  the  passing  bustle  in  the  palace 


118  PRINCE    OTTO. 

had  already  reached  and  re-echoed  in  the  region  of  the  burghers. 
Rumor,  with  her  loud  whisper,  hissed  about  the  town;  men  left 
their  homes,  without  knowing  why;  knots  formed  along  the  boule- 
vard; under  the  rare  lamps  and  the  great  limes  the  crowd  grew 
blacker. 

And  now  through  the  midst  of  that  expectant  company,  the  un- 
usual sight  of  a  closed  litter  was  observed  approaching,  and  trotting 
hard  behind  it  that  great  dignitary,  Cancellarius  Greisengesang. 
Silence  looked  on  as  it  went  by;  and  as  soon  as  it  was  passed  the 
whispering  seethed  over  like  a  boiling  pot.  The  knots  were  sun- 
dered; and  gradualh",  one  following  another,  the  whole  mob  began 
to  form  into  a  procession  and  escort  the  curtained  litter.  Soon 
spokesmen,  a  little  bolder  than  their  mates,  began  to  ply  the  chan- 
cellor with  questions.  Never  had  he  more  need  of  that  great  art  of 
falsehood,  by  whose  exercise  he  had  so  richly  lived.  And  yet  now 
he  stumbled,  the  master  passion,  fear,  betraying  him.  He  was 
pressed;  he  became  incoherent;  and  then  from  the  jolting  litter 
came  a  groan.  In  the  instant  hubbub  and  the  gathering  of  the 
crowd  as  to  a  natural  signal,  the  clear-eyed,  quavering  chancellor 
heard  the  catch  of  the  clock  before  it  strikes  the  hour  of  doom;  and 
for  ten  seconds  he  forgot  himself.  This  shall  atone  for  many  sins. 
He  plucked  a  bearer  by  the  sleeve.  ' '  Bid  the  princess  flee.  All  is 
lost, ' '  he  whispered.  And  the  next  moment  he  was  babbling  for  his 
life  among  the  multitude. 

Five  minutes  later,  the  wild-eyed  servant  burst  into  the  armory. 
"  All  is  lost!"  he  cried.  "  The  chancellor  bids  you  flee."  And  at 
the  same  time,  looking  through  the  Avindow,  Seraphina  saw  the 
black  rush  of  the  populace  begin  to  invade  the  lamplit  avenue. 

"  Thank  you,  Georg,"  she  said.  "  I  thank  you.  Go."  And  as 
the  man  still  lingered,  "  I  bid  you  go,"  she  added.  "  Save  yourself. " 

Down  bj^  the  private  passage,  and  just  some  two  hours  later, 
Amalia  Seraphina,  the  last  princess,  followed  Otto  Johann  Friedrich, 
the  last  Prince  of  Griinewald. 


PEINCE    OTTO.  119 


BOOK  III. 

FORTUNATE  MISFORTUNE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PBmCESS  CINDERELLA. 

The  porter,  drawn  by  the  growing  turmoil,  had  vanished  from 
the  postern,  and  the  door  stood  open  on  the  darkness  of  the  night. 
As  Seraphina  fled  up  the  terraces,  the  cries  and  loud  footing  of 
the  mob  drew  nearer  the  doomed  palace;  the  rush  was  like  the 
rush  of  cavalry;  the  sound  of  shattering  lamps  tingled  above  the 
rest;  and  overtowering  all,  she  heard  her  own  name  bandied 
among  the  shouters.  A  bugle  sounded  at  the  door  of  the  guard 
room;  one  gun  was  fired;  and  then  with  the  yell  of  hundreds,  Mitt- 
walden  Palace  was  carried  at  a  rush. 

Sped  by  these  dire  sounds  and  voices,  the  princess  scaled  the  long 
garden,  skimming  like  a  bird  the  starlit  stairways;  crossed  the  park, 
which  was  in  that  place  narrow,  and  plunged  upon  the  further  side 
into  the  rude  shelter  of  the  forest.  So,  at  a  bound,  she  left  the 
discretion  and  the  cheerful  lamps  of  palace  evenings;  ceased  ut- 
terly to  be  a  sovereign  lady;  and  falling  from  the  whole  height  of 
civilization,  ran  forth  into  the  woods,  a  ragged  Cinderella. 

She  went  direct  before  her  through  an  open  tract  of  the  forest, 
full  of  brush  and  birches,  and  where  the  starlight  guided  her;  and 
beyond  that  again,  must  thread  the  columned  blackness  of  a  pine 
grove,  joining  overhead  the  thatch  of  its  long  branches.  At  that 
hour,  the  place  was  breathless;  a  horror  of  night  like  a  presence 
occupied  that  dungeon  of  the  wood;  and  she  went  groping,  knock- 
ing against  the  boles — her  ear,  between  whiles,  strained  to  aching 
and  yet  unrewarded. 

But  the  slope  of  the  ground  was  upward  and  encouraged  her; 
and  presentlj'^  she  issued  on  a  rocky  hill  that  stood  forth  above  the 
fine  of  forest.  All  around  were  other  hill-tops,  big  and  little;  sable 
vales  of  forest  between;  overhead  the  open  heaven  and  the  brill- 
iancy of  countless  stars;  and  along  all  the  western  sky  the  dim 
forms  of  mountains.  The  glory  of  the  great  night  laid  hold  upon 
her;  her  eyes  shone  with  stars;  she  dipped  her  sight  into  the  cool- 


120  PEINCE    OTTO. 

ness  and  brightness  of  the  sky,  as  she  might  have  dipped  her  wrist 
into  a  spring;  and  her  heart,  at  that  ethereal  shock,  began  to  move 
more  soberly.  The  sun  that  sails  overhead,  plowing  into  gold  the 
fields  of  daylight  azure  and  uttering  the  signal  to  man's  myriads, 
has  no  word  apart  for  man  the  individual;  and  the  moon,  like  a 
violin,  only  praises  and  laments  our  private  destiny.  The  stars 
alone,  cheerful  whisiDerers,  confer  quietly  with  each  of  us  like 
friends;  they  give  ear  to  our  sorrows  smilingly,  like  wise  old  men, 
rich  in  tolerance  and  counsel;  and  by  their  double  scale,  so  small  to 
the  eye,  so  vast  to  the  imagination,  they  keeij  before  the  mind  the 
double  character  of  man's  nature  and  fate. 

There  sat  the  princess,  beautifully  looking  upon  beauty,  in  coun- 
cil with  these  glad  advisers.  Bright  like  pictures,  clear  like  a 
voice  in  the  porches  of  her  ear,  memory  re-enacted  the  tumult  of 
the  evening:  the  countess  and  the  dancing  fan;  the  big  baron  on  his 
knees;  the  blood  on  the  polished  floor;  the  knocking;  the  swing  of 
the  litter  down  the  avenue  of  lamps;  the  messenger;  the  cries  of  the 
charging  mob;  and  yet  all  were  far  awaj^  and  phantasmal,  and  she 
was  still  healingly  conscious  of  the  peace  and  glory  of  the  night. 
She  looked  toward  Mittwalden;  and  above  the  hill-top  which  al- 
ready hid  it  from  her  view,  a  throbbing  redness  hinted  of  fire.  Bet- 
ter so:  better  so,  that  she  should  fall  with  tragic  greatness,  lit  by 
a  blazing  palace!  Of  pity  for  Gondremark,  of  concern  for  Grilne- 
wald,  not  a  trace  was  found  in  her:  that  period  of  her  life  was 
closed  forever,  a  wrench  of  wounded  vanity  alone  surviving.  She 
had  but  one  clear  idea:  to  flee;  and  another,  obscure  and  half  re- 
jected, although  still  obej'^ed :  to  flee  in  the  direction  of  the  Felsen- 
burg.  Not  her  heart,  for  that  is  conscious,  but  her  whole  dumb 
nature  warmed  and  j'earued  for  Otto.  She  had  a  duty  to  perform, 
she  must  free  him:  so  her  mind  said,  very  coldly;  but  by  the  heat 
that  mounted  in  her  bosom  and  the  tears  that  pricked  her  ej-eballs, 
she  ran  to  him  as  to  a  friend  and  protector. 

She  rose,  with  a  start  of  recollection,  and  plunged  down  the  slope 
into  the  covert.  The  woods  received  her.  Once  more,  she  wan- 
dered and  hasted  in  a  blot,  uncheered,  unpiloted.  Here  and  there, 
indeed,  through  rents  in  the  wood-roof,  a  glimmer  attracted  her; 
here  and  there,  a  tree  stood  out  among  its  neighbors  by  some  force 
of  outline;  here  and  there,  a  brushing  among  the  leaves,  a  notable 
blackness,  a  dim  shine,  relieved,  only  to  exaggerate,  the  solid  op- 
pression of  the  night  and  silence.  And  between  whiles,  the  unfeat- 
ured  darkness  would  redouble  and  the  whole  ear  of  night  appear 
to  be  gloating  on  her  steps.     Kow  she  would  stand  still,  and  the 


PRINCE    OTTO.  131 

silence  would  grow  and  grow,  till  it  weighed  upon  her  breathing; 
and  then  she  would  address  herself  again  to  run,  stumbling,  fall- 
ing, and  still  hurrying  the  more.  And  presently  the  whole  wood 
rocked  and  began  to  run  along  with  her.  The  noise  of  her  own 
mad  passage  through  the  silence  spread  and  echoed  and  filled  the 
night  with  terror.  Panic  hunted  her :  panic  from  the  trees  reached 
forth  with  clutching  branches;  the  darkness  was  lit  up  and  peopled 
with  strange  forms  and  faces.  She  strangled  and  fled  before  her 
fears.  And  yet  in  the  last  fortress,  reason,  blown  upon  by  these 
gusts  of  terror,  still  shone  with  a  troubled  light.  She  linew,  yet 
could  not  act  upon  her  knowledge;  she  knew  that  she  must  stop, 
and  yet  she  still  ran. 

She  was  already  near  madness  when  she  broke  suddenly  into  a 
narrow  clearing.  At  the  same  time,  the  din  grew  louder,  and  she 
became  conscious  of  vague  forms  and  fields  of  whiteness.  And 
with  that  the  earth  gave  way;  she  fell  and  found  her  feet  again 
with  an  incredible  shock  to  her  senses,  and  her  mind  was  swallowed 
up. 

When  she  came  again  to  herself,  she  was  standing  to  the  mid-leg 
in  an  icy  eddy  of  a  brook,  and  leaning  with  one  hand  on  the  rock 
from  which  it  poured.  The  spray  had  wet  her  hair.  She  saw  the 
white  cascade,  the  stars  wavering  in  the  shaken  pool,  foam  flitting, 
and  high  overhead  the  tall  pines  on  either  hand  serenely  drinking 
starshine;  and  in  the  sudden  quiet  of  her  spirit,  she  heard  with  joy 
the  firm  plunge  of  the  cataract  in  the  pool.  She  scrambled  forth 
dripping.  In  the  face  of  her  proved  weakness,  to  adventure  again 
upon  the  horror  of  blackness  in  the  grove,  were  a  suicide  of  life  or 
reason.  But  here,  in  the  alley  of  the  brook,  with  the  kind  stars 
above  her,  and  the  moon  presently  swimming  into  sight,  she  could 
await  the  coming  of  day  without  alarm. 

This  lane  of  pine-trees  ran  very  rapidly  down  hill  and  wound 
among  the  woods;  bul  it  was  a  wider  thoroughfare  than  the  brook 
needed,  and  here  and  there  were  little  dimpling  lawns  and  coves  of 
the  forest,  where  the  starshine  slumbered.  Such  a  lawn  she  paced, 
taking  patience  bravely;  and  now  she  looked  up  the  hill  and  saw 
the  brook  coming  down  to  her  in  a  series  of  cascades;  and  now  ap- 
proached the  margin,  where  it  welled  among  the  rushes  silently; 
and  now  gazed  at  the  great  company  of  heaven  with  an  enduring 
wonder.  The  early  evening  had  fallen  chill,  but  the  night  was  now 
temperate;  out  of  the  recesses  of  the  wood  there  came  mild  airs  aa 
from  a  deep  and  peaceful  respiration;  and  the  dew  was  heavy  on 
the  grass  and  the  tight-shut  daisies.     This  was  the  girl's  first  nighJ 


122  PEIl^CE    OTTO. 

u)ider  the  naked  Leaven :  and  now  that  her  fears  were  overpast 
she  was  touched  to  the  soul  by  its  serene  amenity  and  peace.  Kindly 
the  host  of  heaven  blinked  down  upon  that  wandering  princess, 
and  the  honest  brook  had  no  words  but  to  encourage  her. 

At  last  she  began  to  be  aware  of  a  wonderful  revolution  compared 
to  which  the  fire  of  Mittwalden  Palace  was  but  the  crack  and  flash 
of  a  percussion-cap.  The  countenance  with  which  the  pines  re- 
garded her  began  insensibly  to  change;  the  grass  too,  short  as  it 
was,  and  the  whole  winding  staircase  of  the  brook's  course,  began 
to  wear  a  solemn  freshness  of  appearance.  And  this  slow  trans- 
figuration reached  her  heart,  and  played  upon  it,  and  transpierced 
it  with  a  serious  thrill.  She  looked  all  about;  the  whole  face  of 
nature  looked  black,  brimful  of  meaning,  finger  on  lip,  leaking  its 
glad  secret.  She  looked  up;  and  lo!  heaven  was  almost  emptied  of 
the  stars,  and  the  last  lingerers  were  fainting  in  the  blue.  "  Oh," 
she  cried,  joy  catching  at  her  breath,  "  it  is  the  dawn!" 

In  a  breath  she  passed  over  the  brook,  and  looping  up  her  skirts, 
began  to  run  in  the  dim  alleys,  on  the  carpet  of  the  moss  and  tassel 
'for  the  nearest  rising  ground.  As  she  ran  her  ears  were  aware  of 
many  pipings,  more  beautiful  than  music;  in  the  small  dish-shaped 
houses,  in  the  fork  of  giant  arms,  where  they  had  lain  all  night, 
lover  by  lover,  warmly  pressed,  the  bright-eyed,  big-hearted  singers 
began  to  awaken  for  the  day.  Her  heart  melted  and  flowed  forth  to 
them  in  kindness.  And  thej^  from  their  small  and  high  perches  in 
the  clerestories  of  the  wood  cathedral,  peered  sidelong  down  and 
saw  with  wonder  that  ragged  princess  flitting  below  them  on  the 
moss. 

Soon  she  had  struggled  to  a  certain  hill-top,  and  saw  far  before  her 
the  silent  inflooding  of  the  day.  Out  of  the  east  it  welled  and 
whitened;  the  darkness  trembled  into  light;  and  the  stars  were  ex- 
tinguished like  the  street-lamps  of  a  human  city.  The  whiteness 
brightened  into  silver,  the  silver  warmed  into  gold,  the  gold  kindled 
into  pure  and  living  fire.  The  day  drew  its  first  long  breath,  steady 
and  chill;  and  for  leagues  around  the  woods  sighed  and  shivered. 
And  then,  at  one  bound,  the  sun  had  floated  up;  and  her  startled 
eyes  received  day's  first  arrow,  and  quailed  under  the  bufl'et.  On 
every  side  the  shadows  leaped  from  their  ambush  and  fell  prone. 
The  day  was  come,  plain  and  garish.  Only  up  the  steep  and  sol- 
itary eastern  heaven,  the  sun,  victorious  over  his  competitors,  con- 
tinued slowly  and  royally  to  mount. 

Seraphina  drooped  for  a  little,  leaning  on  a  pine,  the  shrill  joy  of 
the  woodlands  mocldng  her.     The  shelter  of  the  night,  the  thrilling 


PRINCE    OTTO.  123 

and  joyous  changes  of  the  dawn,  were  over;  and  now,  in  the  hot 
eye  of  the  day,  she  turned  uneasily  and  looked  sighingly  about 
her.  Some  way  off,  among  the  lower  woods,  a  pillar  of  smoke  was 
mounting  and  melting  in  the  gold  and  blue.  There,  surely  enough, 
were  human-folk,  the  hearth-surrounders.  Man's  firgers  had  laid 
the  twigs;  it  was  man's  breath  that  had  quickened  ai^i  encouraged 
the  baby  flames;  and  now,  as  the  fire  cauglit,  it  played  ruddily  on 
the  face  of  its  creator.  At  the  thought  she  felt  a-cold,  and  little, 
and  lost  in  that  great  out-of-doors.  The  electric  shock  of  the 
young  sunbeams  and  the  unhuman  beauty  of  the  woods  began  to 
irk  and  daunt  her.  The  covert  of  the  house,  the  decent  privacy  of 
rooms,  the  swept  and  regulated  fire,  all  that  denotes  or  beautifies 
the  home  life  of  man,  began  to  draw  her  as  with  cords.  The  pillar 
of  smoke  was  now  risen  into  some  stream  of  moving  air;  it  began 
to  lean  out  sideways  in  a  pennon;  and  thereupon,  as  though  the 
change  had  been  a  summons,  Seraphina  plunged  once  inore  into 
the  labyrinth  of  the  wood. 

She  left  day  upon  the  high  ground.  In  the  lower  groves-,  there  still 
lingered  the  blue  early  twilight  and  tlie  seizing  freshness  of  the  dew. 
But  here  and  there,  above  this  field  of  shadow,  the  head  of  a  great 
outspread  pine  was  already  glorious  with  day;  and  here  and  there, 
through  the  breaches  of  the  hills,  the  sunbeams  made  a  great  and 
luminous  entry.  Here  Seraphina  hastened  along  forest  patLs.  She 
had  lost  sight  of  the  pilot  smoke,  which  blew  another  way,  and 
conducted  herself  in  that  great  wilderness  by  the  direction  of  the 
sun;  but  presently  fresh  signs  bespoke  the  neighborhood  of  man; 
felled  trunks,  white  slivers  from  the  axe,  bundles  of  green  boughs, 
and  stacks  of  firewood.  These  guided  her  forward,  until  she 
came  forth  at  last  upon  the  clearing  whence  the  smoke  arose.  A 
hut  stood  in  the  clear  shadow,  hard  by  a  brook  which  made  a  series 
of  inconsiderable  falls;  and  on  the  threshold,  the  princess  saw  a 
sunburned  and  hard-featured  woodman,  standing  with  his  hands  be- 
hind his  back  and  gazing  skyward. 

She  went  to  him  directly :  a  beautiful,  bright-ej^ed  and  haggard 
vision:  splendidly  arrayed  and  pitifully  tattered;  the  diamond  ear- 
drops still  glittering  in  her  ears;  and  with  the  movement  of  her 
coming,  one  small  breast  showing  and  hiding  among  the  ragged 
covert  of  the  laces.  At  that  ambiguous  hour,  and  coming  as  she 
did  from  the  great  silence  of  the  forest,  the  man  drew  back  from 
the  princess  as  from  something  elfin. 

"  I  am  cold,"  she  said,  and  weary.  Let  me  rest  beside  your  fire." 

The  woodman  was  visibly  commoved,  but  answered  nothing. 


124  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  I  will  pay,"  she  said,  and  then  repented  of  the  "Words,  catch- 
ing perhaps  a  spark  of  terror  from  his  frightened  eyes.  But  as 
usual,  her  courage  rekindled  brighter  for  the  check-  she  put  him 
from  the  door  and  entered;  and  he  followed  her  in  superstitious 
wonder. 

Within,  the  hut  was  rough  and  dark;  but  on  the  stone  that 
served  as  hearth,  twigs  and  a  few  dry  branches  burned  with  the 
brisk  sounds  and  all  the  variable  beauty  of  fire.  The  very  sight  of 
it  composed  her;  she  crouched  hard  by  on  the  earth  floor  and  shiv- 
ered in  the  glow,  and  looked  upon  the  eating  blaze  with  admira- 
tion. The  woodman  was  still  staring  at  his  guest:  at  the  wi-eck  of 
the  rich  dress,  the  bare  arms,  the  bedraggled  laces  and  the  gems. 
He  found  no  word  to  utter. 

"  Give  me  food,"  she  said,  "  here, by  the  fire." 

He  set  down  a  pitcher  of  coarse  wine,  bread,  a  piece  of  cheese 
and  a  handful  of  raw  onions.  The  bread  was  hard  and  sour,  the 
cheese  like  leather;  even  the  onion,  which  ranks  with  the  truffle 
and  the  peach  in  the  chief  place  of  honor  of  earth's  fruits,  is  scarce 
a  dish  for  princesses  when  raw.  But  she  eat,  if  not  with  appetite, 
with  courage;  and  when  she  had  eaten,  did  not  disdain  the  pitcher. 
In  all  her  life  before,  she  had  not  tasted  of  gross  food  nor  drunk 
after  another;  but  a  brave  woman  far  more  readily  accepls  a  change 
of  circumstances  than  the  bravest  man.  All  that  while,  the  wood- 
man continued  to  observe  her  furtivelj^  many  low  thoughts  of  fear 
and  greed  contending  in  his  eyes.  She  read  them-  clearly,  and  she 
knew  she  must  be  gone. 

Presently  she  arose,  and  offered  him  a  florin. 

"  Will  that  repay  you?"  she  asked. 

But  here  Ihe  man  found  his  tongue.  "I  must  have  more  than 
that,"  said  he. 

"  It  is  all  I  have  to  give  you,"  she  returned,  and  passed  him  by 
eerenely. 

Yet  her  heart  trembled,  for  she  saw  his  hand  stretched  forth  as  if 
to  arrest  her,  and  his  unsteady  ^es  wandering  to  his  ax.  A  beaten 
path  led  westward  from  the  clearing,  and  she  swiftly  followed  it. 
She  did  not  glance  behind  her.  But  when  a  tiu-ning  of  the  path 
concealed  her  from  the  woodman's  eyes,  she  slipped  into  the  shelter 
of  the  trees  and  ran  till  she  deemed  herself  in  safet3^ 

By  this  time  the  strong  sunshine  pierced  in  a  thousand  places 
the  pine-thatch  of  the  forest,  fired  the  red  boles,  irradiated  the  cool 
aisles  of  shadow,  and  burned  in  jewels  on  the  grass.     The  gum  of 


PEINCE    OTTO.  135 

these  trees  was  dearer  to  the  senses  than  the  gums  of  Araby;  each 
pine,  in  the  lusty  morning  sunlight,  burned  its  own  wood-incense; 
and  now  and  then  a  breeze  would  rise  and  toss  these  rooted  censers, 
and  send  shade  and  sun-gem  flitting,  swift  as  swallows,  thick  aa 
bees;  and  wake  a  brushing  bustle  of  sounds  that  murmured  and 
went  by. 

On  she  passed,  and  up  and  doMii,  in  sun  and  shadow;  now  aloft 
on  the  bare  ridge  among  the  rocks  and  birches,  with  the  lizards  and 
the  snakes;  and  anon  in  the  deep  grove  among  sunless  pillars.  Now 
she  followed  wandering  wood-paths,  in  the  maze  of  valleys;  and 
again,  from  a  hill-top,  beheld  the  distant  mountains  and  the  great 
birds  circling  under  the  sky.  She  would  see  afar  off  a  nestling 
hamlet,  and  go  round  to  avoid  it.  Below,  she  traced  the  course  of 
the  foam  of  mountain  torrents;  but  where  she  wandered,  only  ten- 
der springs  welled  up  in  silence,  or  oozed  in  green  moss;  or  in  the 
more  favored  hollows,  a  whole  family  of  infant  rivers  would  com- 
bine, and  tinkle  in  the  stones,  and  lie  in  pools  to  be  a  bathing-place 
for  sparrows,  or  fall  from  the  sheer  rock  in  rods  of  crystal.  Upon 
all  these  things,  as  she  still  sped  along  in  the  bright  air,  she  looked 
with  a  rapture  of  surprise  and  a  joyful  fainting  of  the  heart;  they 
seemed  so  novel,  they  touched  so  strangely  home,  they  were  so 
hued  and  scented,  they  were  so  beset  and  canopied  by  the  dome  of 
the  blue  air  of  heaven. 

At  length,  when  she  was  well  weary,  she  came  upon  a  wide  and 
shallow  pool.  Stones  stood  in  it,  like  islands;  bulrushes  fringed 
the  coast;  the  floor  was  paved  with  the  pine  needles;  and  the  pines 
themselves,  whose  roots  made  promontories,  looked  down  silently 
on  their  green  images.  She  crept  to  the  margin  and  beheld  herself 
with  wonder,  a  hollow  and  bright-eyed  phantom,  in  the  ruins  of 
her  palace  robe.  The  breeze  now  shook  her  image;  now  it  would 
be  marred  with  flies;  and  at  that  she  smiled;  and  from  the  fading 
circles,  her  coimtei-part  smiled  back  to  her  and  looked  kind.  She 
sat  long  in  the  warm  sun,  and  pitied  her  bare  arms  that  were  all 
bruised  and  marred  with  falling,  and  marveled  to  see  that  she  was 
dirty,  and  could  not  grow  to  believe  that  she  had  gone  so  long  in 
such  a  strange  disorder. 

Then,  with  a  sigh,  she  addressed  herself  to  make  a  toilet  by  that 
forest  mirror,  washed  herself  pure  from  all  the  stains  of  her  ad- 
venture, took  off  her  jewels  and  wrapped  them  in  her  handkerchief. 
rdMlK^ljf^he  tatters  of  her  dress,  and  took  down  the  folds  of  her 
hair.  She  shook  it  round  her  face,  and  the  pool  repeated  her  thus 
veiled.  Her  hair  had  smelled  like  violets,  she  remembered  Otto  say- 


126  PRmCE    OTTO. 

ing;  and  so  now  she  tried  to  smell  it,  and  then  shook  her  head, 
and  laughed  a  little  sadly  to  herself. 

The  laugh  was  returned  upon  her  in  a  childish  echo.  She  looked 
up;  and  lo!  two  children  looking  on,  a  small  girl  and  a  yet  smaller 
boy,  standing,  like  playthings,  by  the  pool,  below  a  spreading  pine. 
Seraphina  was  not  fond  of  children,  and  now  she  was  startled  to 
the  heart. 

"  Who  are  you?"  she  cried,  hoarsely. 

The  mites  huddled  together  and  drew  back;  and  Seraphina's 
heart  reproached  her  that  she  should  have  frightened  things  so 
quaint  and  little,  and  yet  alive  with  senses.  She  thought  upon  the 
birds  and  looked  again  at  her  two  visitors:  so  little  larger  and  so  far 
more  innocent.  On  their  clear  faces,  as  in  a  pool,  she  saw  the  re- 
flection of  their  fears.     With  gracious  purpose,  she  arose. 

"  Come,"  she  said,  "  do  not  be  afraid  of  me,"  and  took  a  step 
toward  them. 

But  alas!  at  the  tirst  movement,  the  two  poor  babes  in  the  word 
turned  and  ran  helter-skelter  from  the  pi'incess. 

The  most  desolate  pang  was  struck  into  the  girl's  heart.  Here 
she  was,  twenty-one — soon  twenty-two — and  not  a  creature  loved 
her;  none  but  Otto;  and  would  even  he  forgive?  If  she  began 
weeping  in  these  woods  alone,  it  would  mean  death  or  madness. 
Hastily  she  trod  the  thoughts  out  like  a  burning  paper;  hastily 
rolled  up  her  locks,  and  with  terror  dogging  her,  and  her  whole 
bosom  sick  with  grief,  resumed  her  journey. 

Past  ten  in  the  forenoon  she  struck  a  high-road,  marching  in  that 
place  uphill  between  two  stately  groves,  a  river  of  sunlight;  and 
here,  dead  weary,  careless  of  consequences,  and  taking  some  cour- 
age from  the  human  and  civilized  neighborhood  of  the  road,  she 
stretched  herself  on  the  green  margin  in  the  shadow  of  a  tree.  Sleep 
closed  on  her,  at  first  with  a  horror  of  fainting,  but  when  she 
ceased  to  struggle,  kindly  embracing  her.  So  she  was  taken  home 
for  a  little,  from  all  her  toils  and  sorrows,  to  her  father's  arms. 
And  there  in  the  meanwhile  her  body  lay  exposed  by  the  highway- 
side,  in  tattered  finery;  and  on  either  hand  from  the  woods,  the  birds 
came  flying  by  and  calling  upon  others,  and  debated  in  their  own 
tongue  this  strange  appearance. 

The  sun  pursued  his  journey;  the  shadow  flitted  from  her  feet, 
shrunk  higher  and  higher  and  was  upon  the  point  of  leaving  her 
altogether,  when  the  rumble  of  a  coach  was  signaled  to  and  fro  by 
the  birds.  The  road  in  that  part  was  very  steep;  the  rumble  grew 
near  with  great  deliberation;  and  ten  minutes  passed  before  a  gen- 


PRINCE    OTTO.  127 

tleman  appeared,  walking  "with  a  sober  elderly  gait  upon  the  grassy- 
margin  of  the  highway  and  looking  pleasantly  around  him  as  he 
walked.  From  time  to  time  he  paused,  took  out  his  note-book  and 
made  an  entry  with  a  pencil;  and  any  spy  who  had  been  near 
enough,  would  have  heard  him  mumbling  words  as  though  he  were 
a  poet  testing  verses.  The  voice  of  the  wheels  was  still  faint,  and  it 
was  plain  the  traveler  had  far  outstripped  his  carriage. 

He  had  drawn  verj'^  near  to  where  the  princess  la}^  asleep,  before 
his  eye  alighted  on  her;  but  when  it  did  he  started,  pocketed  his 
note-book,  and  approached.  There  was  a  mile-stone  close  to  where 
she  lay;  and  he  sat  down  on  that  and  coolly  studied  her.  She  lay 
upon  one  side,  all  curled  and  sunken,  her  brow  on  one  bare  arm,  the 
other  stretched  out,  limp  and  dimpled.  Her  young  body,  like  a 
thing  thrown  down,  had  scarce  a  mark  of  life.  Her  breathing 
stirred  her  not.  The  deadliest  fatigue  was  thus  confessed  in  every 
language  of  the  sleeping  flesh.  The  traveler  smiled  grimiy.  As 
though  he  had  looked  upon  a  statue,  he  made  a  grudging  inventory 
of  her  charms:  the  figure  in  that  touching  freedom  of  forgetfulness 
surprised  him;  the  flush  of  slumber  became  her  like  a  flower. 

"  Upon  my  word,"  he  thought,  "  I  did  not  think  the  gin  could 
be  so  pretty.  And  to  think,"  he  added,  "that  I  am  under  obli- 
gation not  to  use  one  word  of  this!" 

He  put  forth  his  stick  and  touched  her;  and  at  that  she  awoke, 
sat  up  with  a  cry,  and  looked  upon  him  wildly. 

' '  I  trust  your  highness  has  slept  well, ' '  he  said  nodding. 

But  she  only  uttered  sounds. 
^     "  Compose  yourself,"  said  he,  giving  her  certainly  a  brave  exam- 
ple in  his  own  demeanor.     "  My  chaise  is  close  at  hand;  and  I  shall 
have,  I  trust,  the  singular  entertainment  of  abducting  a  sovereign 
princess." 

"  Sir  John!"  she  said,  at  last. 

"  At  your  highness's  disposal,"  he  replied. 

She  sprung  to  her  feet.  ' '  Oh, ' '  she  cried,  ' '  have  you  come  from 
Mittwalden?" 

"  This  morning,"  he  returned,  "  I  left  it;  and  if  there  is  any  one 
less  likely  to  return  to  it  than  yourself,  behold  him!" 

"  The  baron — "  she  began,  and  paused. 

"  Madame,"  he  answered,  "  it  was  well  meant,  and  you  are  quite 
a  Judith;  but  after  the  hours  that  have  elapsed,  you  will  probably 
be  relieved  to  hear  that  he  is  fairly  well.  I  took  his  news  this 
morning  ere  I  left.     Doing  fairly  well,  they  said,  but  suffering 


128  PRINCE    OTTO. 

acutely.     Hey? — acutely.     They  could  hear  his  groans  in  the  next 
room." 

"  And  the  prince,"  she  asked,  "  is  anything  known  of  him?" 

"It  is  reported,"  replied  Sir  John,  with  the  same  pleasurable 
deliberation,  "  that  upon  that  point  your  highness  is  the  best  au 
thority." 

"Sir  John,"  she  said  eagerly,  "you  were  generous  enough  to 
speak  about  j'our  carriage.  Will  yo«,  I  beseech  you,  will  you  take 
me  to  the  Felseuburg?  I  have  business  there  of  an  extreme  im- 
portance." 

"  I  can  refuse  you  nothing,"  replied  the  old  gentleman,  gravely 
and  seriously  enough.  "  Whatever,  madame,  it  is  in  my  power  to 
do  for  you,  that  shall  be  done  with  pleasure.  As  soon  as  my  chaise 
shall  overtake  us,  it  is  yours  to  carry  you  where  you  will.  But, ' ' 
added  he,  reverting  to  his  former  manner,  "  I  observe  you  ask  me 
nothing  of  the  palace." 

"  I  do  not  care,"  she  said.     "  I  thought  I  saw  it  burning." 

"Prodigious,"  said  the  baronet.  "You  thought?  And  can 
the  loss  of  forty  toilets  leave  you  cold?  Well,  madame,  I  admire 
your  fortitude.  And  the  state,  too?  As  I  left,  the  government 
was  sitting;  the  new  government,  of  which  at  least  two  members 
must  be  known  to  you  by  name :  Sabra,  who  had,  I  believe,  the 
benefit  of  being  formed  in  your  employment — a  footman,  am  I 
right? — and  our  old  friend,  the  chancellor,  in  something  of  a  subal- 
tern position.  But  in  these  convulsions  the  last  shall  be  first  and 
the  first  last. ' ' 

"Sir  John,"  she  said,  with  an  air  of  perfect  honesty,  "  I  am  sure 
you  mean  most  kindly,  but  these  matters  have  no  interest  for  me. ' ' 

The  baronet  was  so  utterly  discountenanced  that  he  hailed  the 
appearance  of  his  chaise  with  welcome,  and  by  way  of  saying  some- 
thing, proposed  that  they  should  walk  back  to  meet  it.  So  it  was 
done;  and  he  helped  her  in  with  courtesy,  mounted  to  her  side, 
and  from  various  receptacles  (for  the  chaise  was  most  completely 
fitted  out)  produced  fruits  and  truffled  liver,  beautiful  white  bread 
and  a  bottle  of  delicate  wine.  With  these  he  served  her  like  a 
father,  coaxing  and  praising  her  to  fresh  exertions;  and  during  all 
that  time,  as  though  silenced  by  the  laws  of  hospitality,  he  was  not 
guilty  of  the  shadow  of  a  sneer.  Indeed  his  kindness  seemed  so 
genuine  that  Seraphina  was  moved  to  gratitude. 

"  Sir  John,"  she  said,  "  you  hate  me  in  your  heart;  why  are  you 
so  kind  to  me?" 

"  Ah,  my  good  lady,"  said  he,  with  no  disclaimer  of  the  accusa- 


PEINCE    OTTO.  129 

tion,  "  I  have  the  honor  to  be  much  your  husband's  friend,  and 
somewhat  his  admirer." 

"  You!"  she  cried.  "  They  told  me  you  wrote  cruelly  of  both 
of  us." 

"  Such  was  the  strange  path  by  which  we  grew  acquainted," 
said  Sir  John.  "I  had  written,  madame,  with  particular  cruelty 
(since  that  shall  be  the  phrase)  of  your  fair  self.  Your  husband 
set  me  at  liberty,  gave  me  a -passport,  ordered  a  carriage,  and 
then,  with  the  most  boyish  spirit,  challenged  me  to  fight.  Know- 
ing the  nature  of  his  married  life  I  thought  the  dash  and  loyalty 
he  showed  delightful.  'Do  not  be  afraid,'  says  he,  'if  I  am 
killed  there  is  nobody  to  miss  me. '  It  appears  you  subsequently 
thought  of  that  yourself.  But  I  digress.  I  explained  to  him  it 
was  impossible  that  I  could  fight!  '  Not  if  1  strike  you?'  says, he. 
Very  droll;  I  wish  I  could  have  put  it  in  my  book.  However,  I 
was  conquered,  took  the  young  gentleman  to  my  high  iavor,  and 
tore  up  my  bits  of  scandal  on  the  spot.  That  is  one  of  the  little 
favors,  madame,  that  j^ou  owe  your  husband." 

Seraphina  sat  for  some  while  in  silence.  She  could  bear  to  be 
misjudged  without  a  pang  bj^  those  whom  she  contemned;  she  had 
none  of  Otto's  eagerness  to  be  approved,  but  went  her  own  way 
straight  and  head  in  air.  To  Sir  John,  however,  after  what  he  had 
said  and  as  her  husband's  friend,  she  was  prepared  to  stoop. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  me?"  she  asked  abruptly. 

"  I  have  told  you  already,"  said  Sir  John:  "I  think  you  want 
another  glass  of  my  good  wine. ' ' 

"Come,"  she  said,  "this  is  unlike  you.  You  are  not  wont  to 
be  afraid.  You  say  that  you  admire  my  husband:  in  his  name,  be 
honest." 

"  I  admire  your  courage,"  said  the  baronet.  "  Bej'ond  that,  as 
you  have  guessed  and  indeed  said,  our  natures  are  not  sympa- 
theHc. " 

"  You  spoke  of  scandal,"  pursued  Seraphina.  "  Was  the  scan- 
dal great?" 

"  It  was  considerable,"  said  Sir  John. 

"  And  you  believed  it?"  she  demanded. 

"  Oh,  madame,"  said  Sir  John,  "  the  question!" 

"Thank  you  for  that  answer!"  cried  Seraphina.  "And  now 
here,  I  will  tell  you  upon  my  honor,  upon  my  soul,  in  spite  of  all 
the  scandal  in  this  world,  I  am  as  true  a  wife  as  ever  stood." 

"We  should  probably  not  agree  upon  a  definition,"  observed 
Sir  John. 

& 


130  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"Oh!"  slie  cried,  "I  have  abominably  used  him — I  know  that; 
it  is  not  that  I  mean.  But  if  you  admire  my  husband,  I  insist  that 
you  shall  imderstand  me:  I  can  look  him  in  the  face  without  a 
blush." 

"  It  may  be,  madame,"  said  Sir  John,  "  nor  have  I  presumed  to 
think  the  contrary." 

"  You  will  not  believe  me?"  she  cried.  "  You  think  I  am  a 
guilty  wife?    You  think  he  was  my  lover?" 

"  Madame,"  returned  the  baronet,  "  when  I  tore  up  my  papers 
I  promised  your  good  husband  to  concern  myself  no  more  with 
your  affairs;  and  I  assure  you  for  the  last  time  that  I  have  no  de- 
sire to  judge  you." 

"But  you  will  not  acquit  me!  Ah!"  she  cried,  "  Ae  will— he 
knows  me  better!" 

Sir  John  smiled. 

"  You  smile  at  my  distress?"  asked  Seraphina. 

"At  your  woman's  coolness,"  said  Sir  John.  "  A  man  would 
scarce  have  had  the  courage  of  that  cry,  which  was,  for  all  Ihat, 
very  natural,  and  I  make  no  doubt  quite  true.  But  remark, 
madame — since  you  do  me  the  honor  to  consult  me  gravely — I  have 
no  pity  for  what  you  call  your  distresses.  You  have  been  com- 
pletely selfish,  and  now  reap  the  consequence.  Had  you  once 
thought  of  your  husband  instead  of  singly  thinking  of  yourself, 
you  would  not  now  have  been  alone,  a  fugitive,  with  blood  upon 
your  hands,  and  hearing,  from  a  morose  old  Englishman,  truth 
more  bitter  than  scandal." 

"  I  thank  you,'-  she  said  quivering.  "This  is  very  true.  Will 
you  stop  the  carriage?" 

"  No,  child,"  and  Sir  John,  "not  until  I  see  you  mistress  of 
yourself." 

There  was  a  long  pause  during  which  the  carriage  rolled  by  rock 
and  woodland. 

"And  now,"  she  resumed,  with  perfect  steadiness,  "will  you 
consider  me  comix)sed?  I  request  you,  as  a  gentleman,  to  let  me 
out." 

"I  think  you  do  unwisely,"  he  replied.  "Continue,  if  you 
please,  to  use  my  carriage." 

"Sir  John,"  she  said,  "if  death  were  sitting  on  that  pile  of 
stones,  I  would  alight!  I  do  not  blame,  I  thank  you;  I  now  know 
how  I  appear  to  others;  but  sooner  than  draw  breath  beside  a  man 
who  can  so  think  of  me,  I  would—  Oh!"  she  cried,  and  was  silent 


PRINCE    OTTO.  131 

Sir  John  pulled  the  string,  alighted,  and  offered  her  his  hand; 
but  she  refused  the  help. 

The  road  had  now  issued  from  the  valleys  in  which  it  had  been 
winding,  and  come  to  that  part  of  its  course  where  it  runs,  like  a 
cornice,  along  the  brow  of  the  steep  northward  face  of  Griine- 
wald.  The  place  where  they  had  alighted  was  at  a  salient  angle;  a 
bold  rock  and  some  wind-tortured  piue-trees  overhung  it  from 
above;  far  below  the  blue  plains  laj^  forth  and  melted  into  heaven; 
and  before  them  the  road,  by  a  succession  of  bold  zigzags,  was 
seen  mounting  to  where  a  tower  upon  a  tall  cliff  closed  the  view. 

"  There,"  said  the  baronet,  pointing  to  the  tower,  "  you  see  the 
Felsenburg,  your  goal.  I  wish  you  a  good  journey,  and  regret  I 
can  not  be  of  more  assistance." 

He  mounted  to  his  place  and  gave  a  signal,  and  the  carriage 
rolled  away. 

Seraphina  stood  by  the  wayside,  gazing  before  her  with  blind 
eyes.  Sir  John  she  had  dismissed  already  from  her  mind:  she 
hated  him,  that  was  enough;  for  whatever  Seraphina  hated  or  con- 
temned fell  instantly  to  Lilliputian  smallness,  and  was  thencefor- 
ward steadily  ignored  in  thought.  And  now  she  had  matter  for 
concern  indeed.  Her  interview  with  Otto,  which  she  had  never  yet 
forgiven  him,  began  to  appear  before  her  in  a  very  different  light. 
He  had  come  to  her,  still  thrilling  under  recent  insult,  and  not  yet 
breathed  from  fighting  her  own  cause;  and  how  that  knowledge 
changed  the  value  of  his  words!  Yes,  he  must  have  loved  her; 
this  was  a  brave  feeling — it  Avas  no  mere  weakness  of  the  will.  And 
she,  was  she  incapable  of  love?  It  would  appear  so;  and  she 
swallowed  her  tears,  and  j^earned  to  see  Otto,  to  explain  all,  to  ask 
pity  upon  her  knees  for  her  transgressions,  and,  if  all  else  were 
now  bej'ond  the  reach  of  reparation,  to  restore  at  least  the  liberty 
of  which  she  had  deprived  him. 

Swiftly  she  sped  along  the  highway;  and  as  the  road  wound  out 
and  in  about  the  bluffs  and  gullies  of  the  mountain,  saw  and  lost 
by  glimpses  the  tall  tower  that  stood  before  and  above  her,  purpled 
by  the  mountain  air. 


CHAPTER  II. 

TREATS   OP  A  CHRISTIAN  VIRTUE. 

When  Otto  mounted  to  his  rolling  prison,  he  found  another  oc- 
cupant in  a  corner  of  the  front  seat;  but  as  this  person  hung  his 
head  and  the  brightness  of  the  carriage  lamps  shone  o  it  ward,  the 


133  PRINCE    OTTO. 

prince  could  only  see  it  was  a  man.  The  colonel  followed  his 
prisoner  and  clapped  to  the  door;  and  at  that  the  four  horses  broke 
immediately  into  a  swinging  trot. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  colonel,  after  some  little  while  had 
passed,  ' '  if  we  are  to  travel  in  silence,  we  might  as  well  be  at 
home.  I  appear  of  course  in  an  invidious  character;  but  I  am  a 
man  of  taste,  fond  of  books  and  solidly  informing  talk,  and  un- 
fortunately condemned  for  life  to  the  guard-room.  Gentlemen, 
this  is  my  chance;  don't  spoil  it  for  me.  I  have  here  the  pick  of 
the  whole  court,  barring  lovely  woman;  I  have  a  great  author  in 
the  person  of  the  doctor — " 

"Gotthold!"  cried  Otto. 

' '  It  appears, ' '  said  the  doctor  bitterly,  ' '  that  we  must  go  to- 
gether.    Your  highness  had  not  calculated  upon  that." 

"  What  do  3"ou  infer?"  cried  Otto,  "  that  I  had  you  arrested?" 

"  The  inference  is  simple,"   said  the  doctor. 

"  Colonel  Gordon,"  said  the  prince,  "oblige  me  so  far,  and  set 
me  right  with  Herr  von  Hohenstorkevitz. " 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  colonel,  "you  are  both  arrested  on  the 
same  warrant  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Princess  Seraphina,  act- 
ing regent,  countersigned  by  Prime  Minister  Freiherr  von  Gondre- 
mark,  and  dated  the  day  before  yesterday,  the  twelfth.  I  reveal  to 
you  the  secrets  of  the  i^rison  house,"  he  added. 

"  Otto,"  said  Gotthold,  "  I  ask  you  to  pardon  my  suspicions." 

"Gotthold,"  said  the  prince,  "I  am  not  sure  I  can  grant  you 
that." 

"  Your  highness  is,  I  am  sure,  far  too  magnanimous  to  hesitate," 
said  the  colonel.  "  But  allow  me:  we  speak  at  home  in  my  religion 
of  the  means  of  grace;  and  I  now  propose  to  offer  them."  So 
saying,  the  colonel  lighted  a  bright  lamp  which  he  attached  to  one 
side  of  the  carriage,  and  from  below  the  front  seat  produced  a 
goodly  basket  adorned  with  the  long  necks  of  bottles.  "  Tu  spem 
reducis — how  does  it  go,  doctor?"  he  asked,  gayly.  "  I  am  in  a 
sense  your  host;  and  I  am  sure  you  are  both  far  too  considerate  of 
my  embarrassing  position  to  refuse  to  do  me  honor.  Gentlemen,  I 
drink  to  the  prince!" 

"  Colonel,"  said  Otto,  "  we  have  a  jovial  entertainer.  I  drink  to 
Colonel  Gordon." 

Thereupon  all  three  took  their  wine  very  pleasantly;  and  even  as 
they  did  so,  the  carriage  with  a  lurch  turned  into  the  high-road  and 
began  to  make  better  speed. 

AH  was  bright  within;  the  wine  had  colored  Gotthold's  cheek; 


PKINGE    OTTO.  133 

dim  forms  of  forest  trees,  dwindling  and  spinning,  scarves  of  the 
starry  sky,  now  wide  and  now  narrow,  raced  past  tlie  windows; 
through  one  that  was  left  open  the  air  of  the  woods  came  in  with  a 
nocturnal  raciness;  and  the  roll  of  wheels  and  the  tune  of  the  trot- 
ting horses  sounded  merrily  on  the  ear.  Toast  followed  toast;  glass 
after  glass  was  bowed  across  and  emptied  by  the  trio;  and  presently 
there  began  to  fall  upon  them  a  luxurious  spell,  under  the  influence 
of  which  the  sound  of  quiet,  confidential  laughter  interrupted  the 
long  intervals  of  meditative  silence. 

"  Otto,"  said  Gotthold,  after  one  of  these  seasons  of  quiet,  "  I  do 
not  ask  you  to  forgive  me.  "Were  the  parts  reversed,  I  could  not 
forgive  you." 

"Well,"  said  Otto,  "it  is  a  phrase  we  use.  I  do  forgive  you, 
but  your  words  and  your  suspicions  rankle;  and  not  yours  alone. 
It  is  idle.  Colonel  Gordon,  in  view  of  the  order  you  are  carrying 
out,  to  conceal  from  you  the  dissensions  of  my  family;  they  have 
gone  so  far  that  they  are  now  public  property.  Well,  gentlemen, 
can  I  forgive  my  wife?  I  can,  of  course,  and  do;  but  in  what 
sense?  I  would  certainly  not  stoop  to  any  revenge;  as  certainly  I 
could  not  think  of  her  but  as  one  changed  beyond  my  recognition." 
"Allow  me,"  returned  the  colonel.  "You  will  pemiit  me  to 
hope  that  I  am  addressing  Christians?  We  are  all  conscious,  I 
trust,  that  Ave  are  miserable  sinners." 

"  I  disown  the  consciousness,"  said  Gotthold.  "Warmed  with 
this  good  fluid,  I  deny  your  thesis." 

"How,  sir?  You  never  did  anything  wrong?  and  I  heard  you 
askmg  pardon  but  this  moment,  not  of  your  God,  sir,  but  of  a  com- 
mon fellow-worm!"  the  colonel  cried. 

"  I  own  you  have  me;  you  are  expert  in  argument,  Herr  Oberst," 
said  the  doctor. 

"  Begad,  sir,  I  am  proud  to  hear  you  say  so,"  said  the  colonel. 
"  I  was  well  grounded  indeed  at  Aberdeen.  And  as  for  this  matter 
of  forgiveness,  it  comes,  sir,  of  loose  views  and  (what  is  if  anything 
more  dangerous)  a  regular  life.  A  sound  creed  and  a  bad  morality, 
that's  the  root  of  wisdom.  You  two  gentlemen  are  too  good  to  be 
forgiving. ' ' 

"  The  paradox  is  somewhat  forced,"  said  Gotthold. 
"  Pardon  me,  colonel,"  said  the  prince;  "  I  readily  acquit  you  of 
any  design  of  offense,  but  your  words  bite  like  satire.  Is  this  a 
time,  do  you  think,  when  I  can  wish  to  hear  myself  called  good, 
now  that  I  am  paying  the  penalty  (and  am  willing  like  yourself  to 
think  it  just)  of  my  prolonged  misconduct?" 


13-1  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  Oh,  but  pardon  me!"  cried  the  colonel  "  You  have  never 
been  expelled  from  the  divinity  hall;  you  have  never  been 
broke.  I  was;  broke  for  a  neglect  of  military  duty.  To  tell  you 
the  open  truth,  your  highness,  I  was  the  worse  of  drink;  it's  a  thing 
I  never  do  now, "  he  added,  taking  out  his  glass.  "But  a  man, 
you  see,  who  has  really  tasted  the  defects  of  his  own  character  as  I 
have,  and  has  come  to  regard  himself  as  a  kind  of  blind  tee-totem 
knocking  about  life,  begins  to  learn  a  very  different  view  about 
forgiveness.  I  will  talk  of  not  forgiving  others,  sir,  when  I  have 
made  out  to  forgive  myself,  and  not  before;  and  the  date  is  like  to 
be  a  long  one.  My  father,  the  Reverend  Alexander  Gordon,  was  a 
good  man  and  damned  hard  upon  others.  I  am  what  they  call  a 
bad  one,  and  that  is  just  the  difference.  The  man  who  can  not 
forgive  any  mortal  thing  is  a  green  hand  in  life." 

"  And  yet  I  have  heard  of  you,  colonel,  as  a  duelist,"  said  Gott- 
hold. 

"  A  different  thing  sir,"  replied  the  soldier.  "Professional  eti- 
quette.    And,  I  trust,  without  unchristian  feeling." 

Presently  after  the  colonel  fell  into  a  deep  sleep;  and  his  com- 
panions looked  upon  each  other  smiling. 

"  An  odd  fish,"  said  Gotthold. 

"  And  a  strange  guardian,"  said  the  prince.  "  Yet  what  he  said 
was  true." 

"  Rightly  looked  upon,"  mused  Gotthold,"  it  is  ourselves  that  we 
can  not  forgive,  when  we  refuse  forgiveness  to  our  friend.  .  Some 
strand  of  our  own  misdoing  is  involved  in  eveiy  quarrel. ' ' 

"  Are  there  not  offenses  that  disgrace  the  pardoner?"  asked 
Otto.     "  Are  there  not  bounds  of  self-respect?" 

"  Otto,"  said  Gotthold,  "  does  any  man  respect  himself?  To  this 
poor  waif  of  a  soldier  of  fortune,  we  may  seem  respectable  gentle- 
men; but  to  ourselves,  what  are  we,  unless  a  paste-board  portico 
and  a  deliquium  of  deadly  weaknesses  within?" 

"I?  yes,"  said  Otto;  "but  you,  Gotthold — you  with  your  in- 
terminable industry,  your  keen  mind,  your  books,  serving  man- 
kind, scorning  pleasures  and  temptations!  You  do  not  know  how 
I  envy  you." 

"  Otto,"  said  the  doctor,  "  in  one  word,  and  a  little  one  to  say:  1 
am  a  secret  tippler.  Yes,  I  drink  too  much.  The  habit  has  robbed 
these  very  books,  to  which  you  praise  my  devotion,  of  the  merits 
that  they  should  have  had.  It  has  spoiled  my  temper.  When  I 
spoke  to  you  the  other  day,  how  much  of  my  wamith  was  in  the 
cause  of  virtue?  how  much  was  the  fever  of  last  night's  wine?  Ay, 


PEINCE    OTTO.  135 

as  my  poor  fellow-sot  there  said,  and  as  I  vaingloriously  denied, 
wc  are  all  miserable  sinners,  put  here  for  a  moment,  knowing  the 
good,  choosing  the  evil,  standing  naked  and  ashamed  in  the  eye  of 
God." 

"  Is  it  so?"  said  Otto.  "  Why.  then,  what  are  we?  Are  the 
very  best — ' ' 

"  There  is  no  best  in  man,"  said  Gotthold.  "  I  am  not  better,  it 
Is  likely  I  am  not  worse,  than  you  or  that  poor  sleeper.  I  was  a 
sham,  and  now  you  know  me;  that  is  all." 

"And  yet  it  has  not  changed  my  love,"  returned  Otto  softly. 
"  Our  misdeeds  do  not  change  us.  Gotthold,  fill  your  glass.  Let 
us  drink  to  what  is  good  in  this  bad  business;  let  us  drink  to  our 
old  affection;  and  when  we  have  done  so,  forgive  your  too  just 
grounds  of  offense  and  drink  with  me  to  my  wife,  whom  I  have  so 
misused,  who  has  so  misused  me,  and  whom  I  have  left,  I  fear,  I 
greatly  fear,  in  danger.  What  matters  it  how  bad  we  are,  if  others 
can  still  love  us,  and  we  can  still  love  others?" 

"  Ay!"  replied  the  doctor.  "  It  is  very  well  said.  It  is  the  true 
answer  to  the  pessimist,  and  the  standing  miracle  of  mankind.  So 
you  still  love  me,  and  so  you  can  forgive  your  wife?  Why,  then, 
we  may  bid  conscience  '  down,  dog, '  like  an  ill-trained  puppy,  yap- 
ping at  shadows.  Ay,  love  is  the  solid." 
The  pair  fell  into  silence,  the  doctor  tapping  on  his  empty  glass. 
The  carriage  swung  forth  out  of  the  valleys  on  that  open  balcony 
of  high-road  that  runs  along  the  front  of  Grunewald,  looking  down 
on  Gerolstein.  Far  below,  a  white  water-fall  was  shining  to  the 
stars  from  the  falling  skirts  of  forest,  and  beyond  that,  the  night 
stood  naked  above  the  plain.  On  the  other  hand,  the  lamplight 
skimmed  the  face  of  the  precipices,  and  the  dwarf  pine-trees 
twinkled  with  all  their  needles,  and  were  gone  again  into  the  wake. 
The  granite  roadway  thundered  imder  wheels  and  hoofs,  and  at 
times,  by  reason  of  its  continual  winding.  Otto  could  see  the  escort 
on  the  other  side  of  a  ravine,  riding  well  together  in  the  night. 
Presently  the  Felsenburg  came  plainly  in  view,  some  way  above 
them,  on  a  bold  projection  of  the  mountain,  and  planting  its  bulk 
against  the  starry  sky. 

"  See,  Gotthold,"  said  the  prince,  "  our  destination." 
Gotthold  awoke  as  from  a  trance. 

"  I  was  thinking,"  said  he,  "  if  there  is  danger,  why  did  you  not 
resist?    T  was  told  you  came  of  your  free  will;  but  should  you  not 
be  there  to  help  her?" 
The  color  faded  from  the  prince's  cheeks. 


136  PEIKCE    OTTO. 


CHAPTER  III. 

providence  von  rosen. — act  the  last. — in  which  she  gal- 

lopB  off. 

When  the  busy  countess  came  forth  from  her  interview  with 
Seraphina,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  she  was  beginning  to  be 
terribly  afraid.  She  paused  in  the  corridor  and  reckoned  up  her 
doings  with  an  ej^e  to  Gondremark.  The  fan  was  in  requisition  in 
an  instant;  but  her  disquiet  was  beyond  the  reach  of  fanning. 
"  The  girl  has  lost  her  head,"  she  thought;  and  then  dismally,  "  I 
have  gone  too  far. "  She  instantly  decided  on  secession.  Now  the 
Mbiis  Sacer  of  the  Frau  von  Rosen  was  a  certain  rustic  villa  in  the 
forest,  called  by  her,  in  a  smart  attack  of  poesy,  Tannen-Zauber, 
and  by  everybody  else  plain  Kleinbrunn. 

Thither,  upon  the  thought,  she  furiouslj'^  drove,  passing  Gondre- 
mark at  the  entrance  to  the  palace  avenue,  but  feigning  not  to  ob- 
serve him;  and  as  Kleinbrunn  was  seven  good  miles  away  and  in 
the  bottom  of  a  narrow  deli,  she  passed  the  night  without  any 
rumor  of  the  outbreak  reaching  her,  and  the  glow  of  the  conflagra- 
tion was  concealed  by  intervening  hills.  Frau  von  Rosea  did  not 
sleep  well;  she  was  seriously  uaeasy  as  to  the  results  of  her  delight- 
ful evening,  and  saw  herself  condemned  to  quite  a  lengthy  sojourn 
in  her  deserts  and  a  long  defensive  correspondence,  ere  she  could 
venture  to  return  to  Gondremark.  On  the  other  hand,  she  examined, 
by  way  of  pastime,  the  deeds  she  had  received  from  Otto;  and  even 
here  saw  cause  for  disappointment.  In  these  troublous  days  she 
had  no  taste  for  landed  property,  and  she  was  convinced  besides 
that  Otto  had  paid  dearer  than  the  farm  was  worth.  Lastly,  the 
order  for  the  prince's  release  fairly  burned  her  meddling  fingers. 

All  things  considered,  the  next  day  beheld  an  elegant  and  beauti- 
ful lady  in  a  riding-habit  and  a  flapping  hat  draw  bridle  at  the  gate 
of  the  Felsenburg,  not  perhaps  with  any  clear  idea  of  her  purpose, 
but  with  her  usual  experimental  views  on  life.  Governor  Gordon, 
summoned  to  the  gate,  welcomed  the  omnipotent  countess  with  his 
most  gallant  bearing,  though  it  was  wonderful  how  old  he  looked  at 
morning. 

"  Ah,  governor,"  she  said,  "  we  have  surprises  for  you,  sir,"  and 
nodded  at  him  meaningly. 

"Eh,  madame,  leave  me  my  prisoners, "  he  said;  "and  if  you 
will  but  join  the  band,  begad,  I'll  be  content  for  life." 


I 


PRIKCE    OTTO.  137 

"  You  would  spoil  me,  would  you  not?"  she  asked. 

"I  would  try,  I  would  try,"  returned  the  governor,  and  he 
offered  her  his  arm. 

She  took  it,  picked  up  her  skirt,  and  drew  him  close  to  her.  "  I 
have  come  to  see  the  prince,"  she  said.  "  Now,  inlidel!  on  busi- 
ness. A  message  from  that  stupid  Gondremark,  who  keeps  me 
running  like  a  courier.  Do  I  look  like  one,  Herr  Gordon?"  And 
she  planted  her  eyes  on  him. 

"  You  look  like  an  angel,  ma'am,"  returned  the  governor,  with 
a  great  air  of  finished  gallantry. 

The  countess  laughed.  "  An  angel  on  horseback!"  she  said. 
"  Quick  work!" 

"You  came,  you  saw,  you  conquered,"  flourished  Gordon,  in 
high  good  humor  with  his  own  wit  and  grace.  ' '  We  toasted  j^ou, 
madame,  in  the  carriage,  in  an  excellent  good  glass  of  wine;  toasted 
you  fathom  deep;  the  finest  woman  -^vith,  begad,  the  finest  eyes  in 
Grlinewald.  I  never  saw  the  like  of  them  but  once  in  my  own 
country  when  I  was  a  young  fool  at  college;  Thomasina  Haig,  her 
name  was.  I  give  you  my  word  of  honor,  she  was  as  like  you  as 
two  peas." 

"  And  so  you  were  merry  in  the  carriage?"  asked  the  countess, 
gracefully  dissembling  a  yawn. 

"We  were;  we  had  a  very  pleasant  conversation;  but  we  took 
perhaps  a  glass  more  than  that  fine  fellow  of  a  prince  has  been  ac- 
customed to,"  said  the  governor;  "  and  I  observe  this  morning  that 
he  seems  a  little  off  his  mettle.  We'll  get  him  mellow  again  ere 
bed-time.     This  is  his  door. " 

"  Well,"  she  whispered,  "  let  me  get  my  breath.  No,  no;  wait. 
Have  the  door  ready  to  open."  And  the  countess,  standing  like 
one  inspired,  shook  out  her  fine  voice  in  "  Lascia  ch'  io  pianga;" 
and  when  she  had  reached  the  proper  point,  and  lyrically  uttered 
forth  her  sighings  after  liberty,  the  door,  at  a  sign,  was  flung  wide 
open,  and  she  swam  into  the  prince's  sight,  bright-eyed  and  with 
her  color  somewhat  freshened  by  the  exercise  of  singing.  It  was  a 
great,  dramatic  entrance,  and  to  the  somewhat  doleful  prisoner 
within,  the  sight  was  sunshine. 

"  Ah,  madame,"  he  cried,  running  to  her — "  you  here!" 

She  looked  meaningly  at  Gordon;  and  as  soon  as  the  door  was 
closed  she  fell  on  Otto's  neck.  "  To  see  you  here!"  she  moaned, 
and  clung  to  him. 

But  the  prince  stood  somewhat  stiffly  in  that  enviable  situation-, 
and  the  countess  instantly  recovered  from  her  outburst. 


138  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  Poor  child, "  she  said,  "  poor  child!  Sit  down  beside  me  here, 
and  tell  me  all  about  it.  My  heart  really  bleeds  to  see  you.  How 
does  lime  go?" 

' '  Madame, ' '  replied  the  prince,  sitting  down  beside  her,  his  gal- 
lantry recovered,  "the  time  will  now  go  all  too  quickly  till  you 
leave.  But  I  must  ask  you  for  the  news.  I  have  most  bitterly 
condemned  myself  for  my  inertia  of  last  night.  You  wisely  coun- 
seled me;  it  was  my  duty  to  resist.  You  wisely  and  noblj^  coun- 
seled me;  I  have  since  thought  of  it  with  wonder.  You  have  a 
noble  heart." 

"  Otto,"  she  said,  "  spare  me.  Was  it  even  right,  I  wonder?  I 
have  duties,  too,  you  poor  child;  and  when  I  see  you  they  all  melt 
— all  my  good  resolutions  fly  away." 

"  And  mine  still  come  too  late,"  he  replied,  sighing.  "  Oh,  what 
would  I  not  give  to  have  resisted?  What  would  I  not  give  for 
freedom?" 

"  Well,  what  would  you  give?"  she  asked;  and  the  red  fan  was 
spread;  only  her  eyes,  as  if  from  over  battlements,  brightly  sur- 
veyed him. 

"I?  What  do  you  mean?  Madame,  jou  have  some  news  for 
me,"  he  cried. 

"  Oh,  oh!"  said  madame,  dubiously. 

He  was  at  her  feet.  "  Do  not  trifle  with  my  hopes,"  he  pleaded. 
"  Tell  me,  dearest  Madame  von  Rosen,  tell  me!  You  can  not  be 
cruel,  it  is  not  in  your  nature.  Give?  I  can  give  nothing;  I  have 
nothing;  I  can  only  plead  in  mercy." 

"  Cliild,"  she  said,  "  do  not;  it  is  not  fair.  Otto,  you  know  my 
weakness.     Spare  me.     Be  generous." 

"  Oh,  madame,"  he  said,  "it  is  for  you  to  be  generous,  to  have 
pity."  He  took  her  hand  and  pressed  it;  he  plied  her  with  caresses 
and  appeals.  The  countess  had  a  most  enjoyable  sham  siege,  and 
then  relented.  She  .sprung  to  her  feet,  she  tore  her  dress  open,  and, 
all  warm  from  her  bosom,  threw  the  order  on  the  floor. 

"  There!"  she  cried.  "  I  forced  it  from  her.  Use  it,  and  I  am 
ruined!"  And  she  turned  away  as  if  to  veil  the  force  of  her  emo- 
tions. 

Otto  sprung  upon  the  paper,  read  it,  and  cried  out  aloud.  "  Oh, 
God  bless  her!"  he  said,  "God  bless  her."  And  he  kissed  the 
writing. 

Von  Rosen  was  a  singularly  good-natured  woman,  but  her  part  was 
now  beyond  her.  "Ingrate!"  she  cried;  "  I  wrung  it  from  her,  I 
betrayed  my  trust  to  get  it,  and  'tis  her  you  thank.'" 


PRINCE    OTTO.  139 

"  Can  you  blame  me?"  said  the  prince.     "  I  love  her." 
"  I  see  that, "  she  said.     "  And  I?" 

"  You,  Madame  von  Rosen?  You  are  my  dearest,  my  kindest 
and  most  generous  of  friends,"  he  said,  approaching  her.  "You 
would  be  a  perfect  friend,  if  you  were  not  so  lovely.  You  have  a 
great  sense  of  humor,  you  can  not  be  unconscious  of  your  charm, 
and  you  amuse  yourself  at  times  by  playing  on  my  weakness;  and 
at  times  I  can  take  pleasure  in  the  comedy.  But  not  to-day :  to-da}' 
you  will  be  the  true,  the  serious,  the  manly  friend,  and  you  will 
suffer  me  to  forget  that  you  are  lovely  and  that  I  am  weak.  Come, 
dear  countess,  let  me  to-day  repose  in  you  entirely." 

He  held  out  his  hand  smiling,  and  she  took  it  frankly.  "  I  vow 
you  have  bewitched  me,"  she  said;  and  then  with  a  laugh,  "  I  break 
my  staff!"  she  added;  "  and  I  must  pay  you  my  best  compliment. 
You  made  a  difficult  speech.  You  are  as  adroit,  dear  prince,  as  I 
am — charming."  And  as  she  said  the  word  with  a  great  courtesy, 
she  justified  it. 

"  You  hardly  keep  the  bargain,  madame,  when  you  make  yourself 
so  beautiful, ' '  said  the  prince,  bowing. 

"  It  was  my  last  arrow,"  she  returned.  "  I  am  disarmed.  Blank 
cartridge,  0  mon  prince  !  And  now  I  tell  you,  if  you  choose  to 
leave  this  prison,  you  can,  and  I  am  ruined.     Choose!" 

"Madame  von  Rosen,"  replied  Otto,  "I  choose,  and  I  will  go. 
My  duty  points  me,  duty  still  neglected  by  this  Featherhead.  But 
do  not  fear  to  be  a  loser.  I  propose  instead  that  j'ou  .should  take  me 
with  you  a  bear,  in  chains,  to  Baron  Gondremark.  I  am  become  per- 
fectly unscrupulous;  to  save  my  wife  I  will  do  all,  all  he  can  ask  or 
fancy.  He  shall  be  filled;  were  he  huge  as  leviathan  and  greedy  as 
the  grave,  I  will  content  him.  And  you,  the  fairy  of  our  panto- 
mime, shall  have  the  credit." 

"  Done!"  she  cried.  "  Admirable!  Prince  Charming  no  longer — 
Prince  Sorcerer,  Prince  Solon!  Let  us  go  this  moment.  Stay," 
she  cried  pausing;  "  I  beg,  dear  prince,  to  give  you  back  these 
deeds;  'twas  you  who  liked  the  farm,  I  have  not  seen  it;  and  it  was 
you  who  wished  to  benefit  the  peasants.  And,  besides,"  she  added, 
with  a  comical  change  of  tone,  "  I  would  prefer  the  ready  money." 
Both  laughed.  "Here  I  am,  once  more  a  farmer,"  said  Otto, 
accepting  the  papers,  ' '  but  overwhelmed  in  debt. ' ' 

The  countess  touched  a  bell,  and  the  governor  once  more  ap- 
peared. 

"  Governor,"  she  said,  "  I  am  going  to  elope  wtih  his  highness. 


140  PRINCE    OTTO. 

The  result  of  our  talk  has  been  a  thorough  undei'standing,  and  the 
coup  d'etat  is  over.       Here  is  the  order." 

Colonel  Gordon  adjusted  silver  spectacles  upon  his  nose.  "  Yes," 
he  said,  "  the  princess:  very  right.  But  the  warrant,  madame,  was 
countersigned." 

"By  Heinrich!"  said  Von  Rosen.  "Well,  and  here  I  am  to 
represent  him." 

"Well,  your  highness,"  resumed  the  soldier  of  fortune,  "  I  must 
congratulate  you  upon  my  loss.  You  have  been  cut  out  by  beauty, 
and  I  am  left  lamenting.  The  doctor  still  remains  to  me :  probus, 
doctus,lepidus,jucnndus;  a  man  of  books." 

"  Ay,  there  is  nothing  about  poor  Gotthold,"  said  the  prince. 

"The  governor's  consolation?  Would  you  leave  him  bare?" 
asked  Von  Rosen. 

"  And,  your  highness,"  resumed  Gordon,  "  may  I  trust  that,  in 
the  course  of  this  temporary  obscuration,  you  have  found  me  dis- 
charge my  part  with  suitable  respect  and,  I  may  add,  tact?  I 
adopted  purposely  a  cheerfulness  of  manner;  mirth,  it  appeared  to 
me,  and  a  good  glass  of  wine,  were  the  fit  alleviations." 

"  Colonel,"  said  Otto,  holding  out  his  hand,  "  your  society  was 
of  itself  enough.  I  do  not  merely  thank  you  for  your  pleasant 
spirits;  I  have  to  thank  you  besides  for  some  philosophy,  of  which 
I  stood  in  need;  I  trust  I  do  not  see  you  for  the  last  time;  and  in 
the  meanwhile  as  a  memento  of  our  strange  acquaintance,  let  me 
offer  you  these  verses  on  which  I  was  but  now  engaged.  I  am  so 
little  of  a  poet,  and  was  so  ill  inspired  by  prison  bars,  that  they 
have  some  claim  to  be  at  least  a  curiosity." 

The  colonel's  countenance  lighted  as  he  took  the  paper;  the  silver 
spectacles  were  hurriedly  replaced.  "  Ha!"  he  said,  "  Alexandrines, 
the  tragic  meter.  I  shall  cheiish  this,  your  highness,  like  a  relic; 
no  more  suitable  offering,  although  I  say  it,  could  be  made.  '  Dieux 
de  I'immense  plaine  et  des  vastes  for^ts.'  Very  good,"  he  said, 
"  very  good  indeed!  '  Et  du  geolier  luimgme  apprendre  des  lemons.' 
Most  handsome,  begad!" 

"  Come,  governor,"  cried  the  countess,  "  you  can  read  his  poetry 
when  we  are  gone.     Open  your  grudging  portals." 

"  I  ask  your  pardon,"  said  the  colonel.  "  To  a  man  of  my  char- 
acter and  tastes,  these  verses,  this  handsome  reference — most 
moving,  I  assure  you.     Can  I  offer  you  an  escort?" 

"  No,  no,"  replied  the  countess.  "  We  go  incogniti,  as  we  ar- 
rived.    We  ride  together;  the  prince  will  take  my  servant's  horse 


PRINCE    OTTO.  141 

Hurry  and  privacy,  Herr  Oberst,  tluit  is  all  we  seek."     And  she 
began  impatiently  to  lead  the  way. 

But  Otto  had  still  to  bid  farewell  to  Dr.  Gotthold;  and  the  gov 
ernor,  following  with  his  spectacles  in  one  hand  and  the  paper  in 
the  other,  had  still  to  communicate  his  treasured  verses,  piece  bj 
piece,  as  he  succeeded  in  deciphering  the  manuscript,  to  all  he  came 
across;  and  still  his  enthusiasm  mounted.  "  I  declare,"  he  cried  at 
last,  with  the  air  of  one  who  has  at  length  divined  a  mystery,  "  they 
remind  me  of  Robbie  Burns!" 

But  there  is  an  end  to  all  things;  and  al  length  Otto  was  walking 
by  the  side  of  Madame  von  Rosen,  along  that  mountain  wall,  her 
servant  following  with  both  the  horses,  and  all  about  them  sim- 
light  and  breeze,  and  flying  bird,  and  the  vast  regions  of  the  air, 
and  the  capacious  prospect :  wildwood  and  climbing  pinnacle,  and 
the  sound  and  voice  of  mountain  torrents  at  their  hand;  and  far 
below  green  melting  into  sapphire  on  the  plains. 

They  walked  at  first  in  silence;  for  Otto's  mind  was  full  of  the 
delight  of  liberty  and  nature,  and  still,  between  whiles,  he  was  pre- 
paring his  interview  with  Gondremark.  But  when  the  first  rough 
promontory  of  the  rock  was  turned,  and  the  Felsenburg  concealed 
behind  its  bulk,  the  lady  paused. 

"  Here,"  she  said,  "  I  Avill  dismoimt  from  Karl,  and  you  and  1 
must  ply  our  spurs.     I  love  a  wild  ride  with  a  good  companion." 

As  she  spoke  a  carriage  came  into  sight  round  the  corner  next 
below  them  in  the  order  of  the  road.  It  came  heavilj'  creaking, 
and  a  little  ahead  of  it,  a  traveler  was  soberly  walking,  note-book 
in  hand. 

"  It  is  Sir  John,"  cried  Otto,  and  he  hailed  him. 

The  baronet  pocketed  his  note-book,  stared  through  an  eyeglass, 
and  then  waved  his  stick;  and  he  on  his  side,  and  the  countess  and 
the  prince  on  theirs,  advanced  with  somewhat  quicker  steps.  Thej' 
met  at  the  re-entrant  angle,  where  a  thin  stream  sprayed  across  a 
bowlder  and  was  scattered  in  rain  among  the  brush;  and  the  baronet 
saluted  the  prince  with  much  i^unctilio.  To  the  countess,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  bowed  with  a  kind  of  sneering  wonder. 

"  Is  it  possible,  madame,  that  you  have  not  heard  the  news?"  he 
asked. 

"  What  news?"  she  cried. 

"  News  of  the  first  order,"  returned  Sir  John,  "  a  revolution  in 
the  state,  a  republic  declared,  the  palace  burned  to  the  ground,  the 
princess  in  fligh^,  Gondremark  wounded — " 

"Heinrich  wounded?'  she  screamed. 


142  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"Wounded  and  suffering  acutely,"  said  Sir  John.  "His 
groans — " 

There  fell  from  the  lady's  lips  an  oath  so  potent  that,  in  smoother 
hours,  it  would  have  made  her  hearers  jump.  She  ran  to  her  horse, 
scrambled  herself  into  the  saddle,  and,  yet  half  seated,  flashed  at 
full  gallop  down  the  road.  The  groom,  after  a  pause  of  wonder, 
followed  her.  The  rush  of  her  impetuous  passage  almost  scared 
the  carriage  horses  over  the  verge  of  the  steep  hill;  and  still  she 
clattered  further,  and  the  crags  re-echoed  to  her  flight,  and  still  the 
groom  flogged  vainly  in  pursuit.  At  the  fourth  corner  a  woman 
trailing  slowly  up  leaped  back  with  a  loud  cry  and,  by  a  hand's- 
breadth,  escaped  death.  But  the  countess  wasted  neither  glance 
nor  thought  upon  that  incident.  Out  and  in,  about  the  bluffs  of 
that  steep  mountain  wall,  she  fled,  loose-reined,  and  still  the  servant 
toiled  in  her  pursuit. 

"  A  most  impulsive  lady,"  said  Sir  Jolm.  "  Who  would  have 
thought  she  cared  for  hiLi?"  Anil  before  the  words  were  uttered 
he  was  struggling  in  the  prince's  grasp. 

"  My  wife!  the  princess?    What  of  her?" 

"  She  is  down  the  road,"  he  gasped.  "  I  left  her  twenty  minutes 
back." 

And  next  moment  the  choked  author  stood  alone,  and  the  prince 
OP  foot  was  racing  down  the  hill  behind  the  countess. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BABES  IN  THE  WOOD. 

While  Ihe  feet  of  the  prince  continued  to  run  swiftly,  his 
heart,  which  had  at  first  by  far  outstripped  his  running,  began  to 
linger  and  hang  back.  Not  that  he  ceased  to  pity  the  misfortune 
or  to  yearn  for  the  sight  of  Seraphina;  but  the  memory  of  her  ob- 
durate coldness  awoke  within  him,  and  woke  in  turn  his  own 
habitual  diffidence  of  self.  Had  Sir  .John  been  given  time  to  tell 
him  all,  had  he  even  known  that  she  was  speeding  to  the  Felsen- 
burg,  he  would  have  gone  to  her  with  ardor.  As  it  was,  he  began 
to  see  himself  once  more  intruding,  profiting,  perhaps,  by  her  mis- 
fortune, and  now  that  she  was  fallen,  proffering  unloved  caresses  to 
the  wife  who  had  spurned  him  in  prosperity.  The  same  spots  upon 
his  vanity  began  to  burn;  once  more  his  anger  assumed  the  carriage 
of  a  hostile  generosity;  he  would  utterly  forgive  indeed,  he  would 
help,  save  and  comfort  his  unloving  wife;  but  all  with  distant  self- 


PRIKCE    OTTO.  143 

denial,  imposing  silence  on  his  heart,  respecting  Seraphina's  dis- 
aflfection  as  he  would  the  innocence  of  a  child.  Thus  it  came  about, 
that,  when  at  length  he  turned  a  corner  and  beheld  that  tattered 
princess  toiling  up  the  hill,  it  was  his  first  thought  to  reassure  her 
of  the  purity  of  his  respect,  and  he  ceased  at  once  from  ninning 
and  stood  still.  She,  upon  her  part,  holding  out  her  arms,  began 
to  run  to  him  with  a  little  cry;  then,  seeing  him  pause,  she  pau.sed 
also,  smitten  with  remorse,  and  at  length,  with  the  most  guilty 
timidity,  walked  nearlj^  up  to  where  he  stood. 

"  Otto,"  she  said,  "  forgive  m«J     I  have  ruined  all." 

"  Oh,  my  wife!"  he  cried,  with  a  sob,  but  did  not  move,  partly 
withheld  by  his  resolutions,  partly  struck  stupid  at  the  sight  of  her 
weariness  and  disorder.  Had  she  stood  silent  they  had  soon  been 
locked  in  an  embrace.  But  she  too  had  prepared  herself  against  the 
interview,  and  must  spoil  the  golden  hour  with  protestations. 

"  All,"  she  went  on,  "I  have  ruined  all.  But,  Otto,  in  kindness, 
you  must  hear  me — not  justify,  but  own  my  faults.  I  have  been 
taught  so  cruelly;  I  have  had  such  time  for  thought,  and  see  the 
world  so  changed.  I  have  been  blind,  stone-blind;  I  have  let  all 
true  good  go  by  me,  and  still  lived  on  shadows.  But  when  this 
dream  fell,  and  I  had  betrayed  you,  and  thought  I  had  killed — " 
She  paused.  "  I  tliought  I  had  killed  Gondremark,"  .she  said,  with 
a  deep  flush,  "  and  I  found  myself,  even  as  you  said,  alone." 

The  mention  of  the  name  of  Gondremark  pricked  like  a  spur  the 
prince's  generosity.  "Well,"  he  cried,  "and  whose  fault  was  it 
but  mine?  It  was  my  duty  to  be  still  beside  you,  loved  or  not. 
But  I  was  a  skulker  in  the  grain,  and  found  it  easier  to  desert  than 
to  oppose  you.  And  I  went,  and  left  you  friendless,  and  believed 
myself  to  be  love's  martjT.  And,  dearest,  love  there  was.  But  I 
am  made  so  loosely,  I  could  never  learn  that  better  part  of  love,  to 
fight  love's  battles.  Still  I  must  yield,  and  play  the  woman;  and 
by  fits,  insult  j'ou — as  I  own  I  did.  But  yet  the  love  was  there; 
and  now  when  this  toj^  kingdom  has  come  down,  by  my  demerits 
first,  and  next  by  your  simplicity,  and  we  are  here  alone  together, 
poor  as  Job  and  merely  man  and  woman,  let  me  conjure  you  to 
forgive  the  weakness  and  tc  repose  entirely  in  the  love.  Mistake 
me  not!"  he  cried,  seeing  her  about  to  speak  and  imposing  silence 
with  uplifted  hand.  "  Sly  love  is  changed;  is  purged  of  anj^  con- 
jugal pretension;  it  does  not  ask,  not  hope,  not  wish,  for  a  return 
in  a  kind.  You  may  forget  forever  that  part  in  which  j'ou  found 
me  so  distasteful,  and  accept  without  embarrassment  the  affection 
of  a  brother." 


144  PRINCE    OTTO. 

"  You  are  too  generous,  Otto,"  she  said.  "  I  know  that  I  have 
forfeited  your  love.  I  can  not  take  this  sacrifice.  You  had  far 
better  leave  me.     Oh,  go  away,  and  leave  me  to  my  fate!" 

"Oh,  no,"  said  Otto;  "  we  must  first  of  all  escape  out  of  this 
hornet's  nest,  to  which  I  led  you.  My  honor  is  engaged.  I  said 
but  now,  we  were  as  poor  as  Job;  and,  behold  not  many  miles  from 
here  I  have  a  house  of  my  own  to  which  I  will  conduct  you.  Otto 
the  prince  being  down,  we  must  try  what  luck  remains  to  Otto  the 
Hunter.  Come^  Seraphina;  show  that  you  forgive  me  (I  do,  if  I 
have  anything  to  forgive),  and  let  ga  set  about  this  business  of  es- 
cape in  the  best  spirits  possible.  You  used  to  say,  my  dear,  that 
except  as  a  husband  and  a  prince  I  was  a  pleasant  fellow.  I  am 
neither  now,  and  you  may  like  my  company  without  remorse. 
Come,  then;  it  were  idle  to  be  captured;  can  you  still  walk?" 

"Otto,  I  can  and  will  do  anything  to  give  you  pleasure,"  she 
said,  with  the  most  unnecessary  fervor  of  asseveration, 

"  Faith,  then,"  said  he,  and  he  began  to  lead  the  way. 

A  little  below  where  they  stood,  a  good-sized  runnel  passed  below 
the  road,  which  overleaped  it  in  a  single  arch.  On  the  one  bank  of 
that  loquacious  water  a  footpath  descended  a  green  dell.  Here  it 
was  rocky  and  stony,  and  lay  on  the  steep  scaips  of  the  ravine;  here 
it  was  choked  with  brambles;  and  there,  in  fairy  haughs,  it  lay  for 
a  few  paces  evenly  on  the  green  turf.  Like  a  sponge,  the  hill-side 
oozed  with  well  water.  The  burn  kept  growing  both  in  force  and 
volume;  and  still,  at  every  ler.p,  it  fell  with  heavier  plunges  and 
spun  more  widely  in  the  pool.  Great  had  been  the  labors  of  that 
stream,  and  great  and  agreeable  the  changes  it  had  wrought.  It 
had  cut  through  dykes  of  stubborn  rock,  and  now,  like  a  blowing 
dolphin,  spouted  through  the  orifice;  along  all  its  humble  coasts,  it 
had  undermined  and  rafted-down  the  goodlier  timber  of  the  forest; 
and  on  these  rough  clearings  it  now  set  and  tended  primrose  gar- 
dens, and  planted  woods  of  willow,  and  made  a  favorite  of  the  sil- 
ver birch.  Through  all  these  friendly  features  the  path,  its  human 
acolyte,  conducted  our  two  wanderers  downward.  Otto  before, 
still  pausing  at  the  steeper  parts  to  lend  assistance;  still,  with  un- 
welcome effort,  making  talk;  the  princess  following,  unconsoled. 
From  time  to  time,  when  he  turned  to  help  her,  her  face  would 
lighten  upon  his — her  eyes,  half  desperately,  woo  him.  He  saw. 
but  dared  not  understand.  ' '  She  does  not  love  me, ' '  he  told  him- 
self, with  great  stolidity.  "  This  is  remorse  or  gratitude;  I  were  no 
gentleman,  no,  nor  yet  a  man,  if  I  presumed  upon  these  pitiful  con- 
cessions." 


tRINCE    OTtO.  145 

Some  way  down  the  glen,  the  stream,  already  grown  to  a  good 
bulk  of  water,  was  rudely  dammed  across,  and  about  a  third  of  it 
abducted  in  a  wooden  trough.  Gayly  the  pure  water,  air's  first 
cousin,  fleeted  along  the  rustic  aqueduct,  whose  sides  and  floor  it 
had  made  green  with  grasses.  The  path,  bearing  it  close  company, 
threaded  a  wilderness  of  brier  and  wild  rose.  And  presently,  a 
little  in  front,  the  brown  top  of  a  mill  and  the  tall  mill-wheel, 
spraying  diamonds,  arose  in  the  narrows  of  the  glen;  and  the  snor- 
ing music  of  the  saws  awoke  the  silence. 

The  miller,  hearing  steps,  came  forth  upon  the  threshold,  and  at 
the  mutual  recognition  both  he  and  Otto  started. 

"  Good-morning,  miller,"  said  the  prince.  "  You  were  rfgiit,  it 
seems,  and  I  was  wrong.  I  give  you  the  news,  and  bid  you  to 
Mittwalden.  My  throne  has  fallen — great  was  the  fall  of  it! — and 
your  good  friends  of  the  Phojnix  bear  the  rule." 

The  red-faced  miller  looked  supreme  astonishment.  "  And  your 
highness?"  he  gasped. 

' '  My  highness  is  running  away, ' '  replied  Otto,  ' '  straight  for  the 
frontier. ' ' 

"Leaving  Grlinewald?"  cried  the  man.  "Your  father's  son? 
It's  not  to  be  permitted!" 

"  Do  j'ou  arrest  us,  friend?"  asked  Otto,  smiling. 

"  Arrest  you?  I?"  exclaimed  the  man.  "  For  what  does  your 
liighness  take  me?  Why,  sir,  I  make  sure  there  is  not  a  man  in 
Grlinewald  would  lay  hands  upon  you." 

"  Oh,  many,  many,"  said  the  prince;  "  but  from  you,  who  were 
bold  with  me  in  my  greatness,  I  should  even  look  for  aid  in  my 
distress." 

The  miller  became  the  color  of  beet  root.  "  You  may  say  so  in- 
deed," said  he.  "And  meanwhile,  you  and  your  lady,  step  into 
my  house." 

"  We  have  not  time  for  that,"  replied  the  prince;  "but  if  you 
would  oblige  us  with  a  cup  of  wine  without  here,  you  will  give  a 
pleasure  and  a  service,  both  in  one. ' ' 

The  miller  once  more  colored  to  the  nape.  He  hastened  to  bring 
forth  wine  in  a  pitcher  and  three  bright  crystal  tumblers.  "  Your 
highness  must  not  suppose,"  he  said,  "  as  he  filled  them,  "  that  I 
am  an  habitual  drinker.  The  time  when  I  had  the  misfortune  to 
encounter  you,  I  was  a  trifle  overtaken,  I  allow;  but  a  more  sober 
man  than  I  am  in  my  ordinarj',  I  do  not  Ivnow  where  you  are  to 
look  for;  and  even  this  glass  that  I  drink  to  you  (and  to  the  lady)  is 
quite  an  unusual  recreation." 


146  PRINCE    OTTO. 

All  drank  to  eacli  other  in  good  form;  and  then  refusing  further 
hospitality,  Otto  and  Seraphina  once  more  proceeded  to  descend  the 
glen,  -which  now  began  to  open  and  to  be  invaded  by  the  taller 
trees. 

"  I  owed  that  man  a  reparation,"  said  the  prince;  "  for  when  we 
met  I  was  not  merely  in  the  wrong,  but  put  a  sore  affront  upon 
him.  I  judge  by  myself,  perhaps;  but  I  begin  to  think  that  no  one 
is  the  better  for  a  humiliation. ' ' 

"  It  was  like  you,"  she  said;  "you  are  a  prince  in  kindliness." 
She  looked  at  h'ui,  as  she  said  it,  with  a  glow;  and  Otto  winced. 

"  Do  not  say  such  things  to  me!"  he  cried. 

"  Otto,"  she  returned,  "  I  never  spared  you  the  bad,  when  I 
thought  it.     Now,  when  I  think  all  good,  shall  I  begin?" 

"  Well,  well,"  he  said,  blushing  withal  and  with  a  mortal  tender- 
ness at  heart.  "  Well,  well.  But  let  us  think  of  safety.  My 
miller  is  all  very  good,  but  I  do  not  pin  my  faith  to  him.  To  fol- 
low down  this  stream  will  bring  us,  but  after  innumerable  wind- 
ings, to  my  house.  Here,  up  this  glade,  there  lies  a  cross-cut — the 
world's-end  for  solitude — the  very  deer  scarce  visit  it.  Are  you  too 
tired,  or  could  you  pass  that  way?" 

"  I  would  follow  you  to  the  moon,"  said  Seraphina. 

"  No,"  he  replied,  with  a  singular  imbecility  of  manner  and  ap- 
pearance,  "  but  I  meant  the  path  was  rough.  It  lies,  all  the  way, 
by  glade  and  dingle,  and  the  dingles  are  both  deep  and  thorny." 

"  Do  you  take  me  for  so  fine  a  lady?"  said  she.  "  I  am  no  more 
afraid  of  briers  than  yourself.  Come,  lead  on!  Let  us  forget  that 
we  were  ever  princes;  I  am  Eve,  you  Adam;  you  will  see  that  I 
can  pick  up  my  petticoats  and  jump  a  brook.  Come;  here  is  open 
turf;  let  us  take  hands  and  run  like  children." 

Indeed  they  had  now  burst  across  a  veil  of  underwood,  and  were 
come  into  a  lawn  among  the  forest,  very  green  and  innocent,  and 
solemnly  surrounded  by  the  trees.  It  seemed  to  invite  glad  spirits 
to  the  games  of  childhood;  and  the  prince  and  princess  did  as  she 
proposed.  Her  hand  lay  warm  and  moist  and  human  within  his; 
his  heart  leaped,  not  with  the  running,  but  this  nearness.  And 
when  they  had  come  to  the  far  end  of  the  glade,  she  dropped  upon 
the  sod,  made  him  sit  by  her,  and  still  held  his  hand. 

"  Let  us  pretend  that  we  have  never  met,"  she  said.  "  You  do 
not  know,  and  I  will  tell  you  my  story.  I  was  bewitched  for 
years  in  an  enchanted  palace,  and  at  last  my  prison  (which  was  all 
of  crockery!)  fell  with  a  crash,  and  I  ran  forth  into  the  woods.  I 
do  not  think  that  I  had  breathed  before;  my  heart  had  been  entirely 


I 


PRINCE    OTTO.  147 

dead.  There  was  a  stream  and  the  moon  shone,  and  then,  the 
most  wonderful  of  all,  dawn  came,  and  I  was  changed  into  a  living 
girl.     That  is  my  tale;  tell  yours." 

"I  have  not  any,"  replied  Otto,  "but  only  this,  that  I  was  a 
great  fool,  and  am  one  still." 

"Let  me  tell  your  fortune,"  she  said,  looking  at  his  hand  in 
hers.  "  Here  I  see  that  you  will  always  be  generous,  even  to  the 
unworthy;  but  yet  that  you  are  proud;  and  you  are  very  worthy  to 
be  loved,  and  will  be  loved;  and  you  have  long  been  misjudged, 
but  now  your  friends  adore  you. ' ' 

"  Who  does?"  he  asked. 

"  All  of  them,"  said  she;  and  then  suddenly,  "  Look  round  5^ou 
at  this  glade,"  she  cried,  "and  where  the  leaves  are  coming  on 
young  trees,  and  the  flowers  begin  to  blossom.  This  is  where  we 
meet,  meet  for  the  first  time;  it  is  so  much  better  to  forget  and  to 
be  born  again.  I  never  saw,  you  never  knew  me,  till  to-day.  Oh, 
what  a  pit  there  is  for  sins — God's  mercy,  man's  oblivion!  And 
then  to  awaken,  grown  man-children.     No,  we  have  never  met." 

"  Seraphina,"  he  said,  "  let  it  be  so,  indeed;  let  all  that  was  be 
merely  the  abuse  of  dreaming;  let  me  not  have  seen,  not  sought, 
not  married,  not  misused  you;  let  me  begin  again,  a  stranger.  I 
have  dreamed,  in  a  long  dream,  that  I  adored  a  girl,  unkind  and 
beautiful;  in  all  things  my  superior,  but  still  cold  like  ice.  And 
again  I  dreamed,  and  thought  she  changed  and  melted,  glowed  and 
turned  to  me.  And  I — who  had  no  merit  but  a  love,  slavish  and 
unerect — lay  close,  and  durst  not  move  for  fear  of  waking." 

"  Lie  close,"  she  said,  with  a  deep  thrill  of  speech.  "  Stir  not  a 
finger,  dear,  or  we  may  both  awake.  I,  too,  have  dreamed  my 
nightmare.  Now,  as  I  sit  here,  I  begin  to  tell  myself  there  was  a 
prince  in  fairy  tales,  who  loved  a  thing  of  ice  and  folly;  and  under 
every  trial,  still  loved  on;  loved  the  ingrate,  the  traitor,  the  insolent 
— and  oh!  still  loved,  or  so  I  tell  myself;  and  Avhen  at  last  God  sent 
a  soul  into  his  froward  mistress,  his  great  heart  leaped  up,  and  he 
forgave  her  all." 

So  they  spake  in  the  spring  woods;  and  meanwhile,  in  Mitt- 
walden  Rath-haus,  the  Republic  was  declared. 


148  PKINCE    OTTO. 


BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  POSTSCRIPT. 

TO   COMPLETE  THE   STORV. 

The  reader,  well  informed  in  modern  history,  will  not  requira 
details  as  to  the  fate  of  the  Republic.  The  best  account  is  to  be 
found  in  the  memoirs  of  Herr  Greisengesang  (7  Bande :  Leipzig)  by 
our  passing  acquaintance,  the  licentiate  Roederer.  Herr  Rojderer, 
with  too  much  of  an  author's  license,  makes  a  great  figure  of  his 
hero,  poses  him,  indeed,  to  be  the  center-piece  and  cloud-compeller 
of  the  whole.  But  with  due  allowance  for  this  bias,  the  book  is  able 
and  complete. 

The  reader  is  of  course  acquainted  with  the  vigorous  and  bracing 
pages  of  Sir  John  (2  volumes:  London:  Longman,  Hurst,  Rees, 
Orme  &  Brown).  Sir  John,  who  plays  but  a  toothcomb  in  the  or- 
chestra of  this  historical  romance,  blows  in  his  own  book  the  big 
bassoon.  His  character  is  there  drawn  at  large;  and  the  sympathy 
of  Landor  has  countersigned  the  admiration  of  the  public.  One 
point,  however,  calls  for  explanation:  the  chapter  on  Grilnewald 
was  torn  by  the  hand  of  the  axithor  in  the  palace  gardens;  how 
comes  it,  then,  to  figure  at  full  length  among  my  more  modest 
pages,  the  Lion  of  the  caravan?  That  eminent  literatus  was  a  man 
of  method;  "Juvenal  by  double  entry,"  he  was  once  profanely 
called;  and  when  he  tore  the  sheets  in  question,  it  was  rather,  as 
he  has  since  explained,  in  the  search  for  some  dramatic  evidence  of 
his  sincerity,  than  with  the  1  bought  of  practical  deletion.  At  that 
iime,  indeed,  he  was  possessed  of  two  blotted  scrolls  and  a  fair  copy 
in  double.  But  the  chapter,  as  the  reader  knows,  was  honestly 
omitted  from  the  famous  "Memoirs  on  the  Various  Courts  of 
Europe."     It  has  been  mine  to  give  it  to  the  public. 

Bibliography  still  helps  us  with  a  further  glimpse  of  our  char- 
acters. I  have  here  before  me  a  small  volume  (printed  for  private 
circulation:  no  printer's  name;  n.d.),  "Poesies  par  Frederic  et 
AmeJie. '*  Mine  is  a  presentation  copy,  obtained  for  me  by  Mi 
Bain  in  the  Haymarket;  and  the  name  of  the  first  owner  is  written 
on  the  fly-leaf  in  the  hand  of  Prince  Otto  himself.  The  modest 
epigraph — "  La  rime  n'est  pas  riche  " — may  be  attributed,  with  a 
good  show  of  likelihood,  to  the  same  collaborator.  It  is  strikingly 
appropriate,  and  I  have  found  the  volume  very  dreary.  Those 
pieces,  in  which  I  seem  to  trace  the  hand  of  the  princess,  are  par- 


PRINCE    OTTO.  149 

ticularly  dull  and  conscientious.  But  the  booklet  had  a  fair  suc- 
cess with  that  public  for  which  it  was  designed;  and  I  have  come 
across  some  evidences  of  a  second  venture  of  the  same  sort,  now 
unprocurable.  Here,  at  least,  we  may  take  leave  of  Otto  and  Sera- 
phina — what  do  I  say?  of  Frederic  and  Amelie— aging  together 
peaceably  at  the  court  of  the  wife's  father,  jingling  French  rhymes 
and  correcting  joint  proofs. 

Still  following  the  book-lists,  I  perceive  that  Mr.  Swinburne  has 
dedicated  a  rousing  lyric  and  sixteen  vigorous  sonnets  to  the  mem- 
ory of  Gondremark;  that  name  appears  twice  at  least  in  Victor 
Hugo's  trumpet-blasts  of  patriot-enumeration;  and  I  came  latterly, 
when  I  supposed  my  task  already  ended,  on  a  trace  of  the  fallen 
politician  and  his  countess.  It  is  in  the  "  Diary  of  J.  Hogg  Cot- 
terill,  Esq."  (that  very  interesting  w^ork).  Mr.  Cottcrill,  being  at 
Naples,  is  introduced  (Maj^  27th)  to  "  a  Baron  and  Baroness  Gondre- 
mark— he,  a  man  wdio  once  made  a  noise — she  still  beautiful — both 
witty.  She  complimented  me  much  upon  my  French — should 
never  have  known  me  to  be  English — had  known  my  uncle,  Sir 
John,  in  Germany — recognized  in  me  as  a  family  trait  some  of  his 
grand  air  and  studious  courtesy — asked  me  to  call."  And  again 
(May  30th):  "  Visited  the  Baronne  de  Gondremark — much  gratified 
— a  most  refined,  inieUigent  woman,  quite  of  the  old  school,  now 
Jielas  /  extinct — had  read  my  '  Remarks  on  Sicily  ' — it  remJnds  her 
of  my  uncle,  but  with  more  of  grace — I  feared  she  thought  there 
was  less  energy — assured  no — a  softer  style  of  presentation,  more  of 
the  literary  grace,  but  the  same  firm  grasp  of  circumstance  and 
force  of  thought — in  short,  just  Buttonhole's  opinion.  Much  en- 
couraged. I  have  a  real  esteem  for  this  patrician  lady."  The  ac- 
quaintance lasted  some  time;  and  when  Mr.  Cottcrill  left  in  the 
suite  of  Lord  Protocol,  and,  as  he  is  careful  to  inform  us,  in  Admiral 
Yardarm's  flag-ship,  one  of  his  chief  causes  of  regret  is  to  leave 
"that  most  sptrifne/le  and  sympathetic  lady,  who  already  regards 
me  as  a  younger  brother." 


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